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Reproduced  from  an  old  engraving  in  the  Universal  Magazine. 


THE   DAUGHTER   OF  AN 
EMPRESS 


^n  j^istorical  Noocl 


BY 

L.    MUHLBACH  ps^o^i 

AUTHOR   OF   MARIE   ANTOINETTE,  JOSEPH   II.    AND    HIS   COURT,    BERLIN    AND   SANS-SOUO, 
FREDERICK   THE   GREAT   AND   HIS   FAMILY,    ETC. 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN  BY 

NATHANIEL  GREENE 


NEW     YORK 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

1899 


CoPTRlQHT,  1867.  1893, 

By  d.  appleton  and  company. 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I. — Countess  Natalie  Dolgorucki 1 

II. — Count  Miinnich 5 

III. — Count  Ostermann 15 

IV.— The  Night  of  the  Conspiracy 30 

V. — Hopes  Deceived 38 

VI. — The  Regent  Anna  Leopoldowna 44 

VII.— The  Favorite 49 

VIII.— No  Love 58 

IX.— Princess  Elizabeth 70 

X. — A  Conspiracy 83 

XL— The  Warning 93 

XIL— The  Court  Ball 101 

XIIL— The  Pencil-Sketch 114 

XIV.— The  Revolution     .        . 126 

XV.— The  Sleep  of  Innocence 139 

XVI. — The  Recompensing 142 

XVIL— Punishment 154 

XVIIL— The  Palace  of  the  Empress 169 

XIX.— Eleonore  Lapuschkin 178 

XX.— A  Wedding 190 

XXL— Scenes  and  Portraits 196 

XXII. — Princes  also  must  die 205 

XXIIL— The  Charmed  Garden 210 

XXIV.— The  Letters 223 

ill 


iv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAOB 

XXV.— Diplomatic  Quarrels 233 

XXVI.— The  Fish  Feud 246 

XXVII.— Pope  Gangaiielli  (Clement  XIV.)      .        .        .        .257 

XXVIII.— The  Pope's  Recreation  Hour 270 

XXIX.— A  Death-Sentence 279 

XXX.— The  Festival  of  Cardinal  Bemis      ....  287 

XXXI,— The  Improvisatrice 300 

XXXII.— The  Departure 312 

XXXIII.— An  Honest  Betrayer 322 

XXXIV.— Alexis  Orloflf 332 

XXXV.— Corilla 338 

XXXVI.— The  Holy  Chafferers 348 

XXXVII.— "Sic  transit  gloria  mundi"      .        .        .        . '      .  356 

XXXVIIL— The  Vapo 360 

XXXIX.— The  Invasion 368 

XL.— Intrigues 382 

XLL— The  Dooming  Letter 888 

XLII.— The  Russian  Officer 402 

XLIIL— Anticipation 412 

XLIV.— He! 417 

XL  v.— The  Warning .  427 

XLVI.-The  Russian  Fleet 442 

XLVII.— Conclusion 449 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

TACING 
PAGE 

Portrait  of  Catharine,  Empress  of  Bussia  .        .        .      Frontigpiece 

Anna  Leopoldowna  proclaims  herself  Regent 88 

The  Sleep  of  Innocence *.        .        .  141 

Natalie  and  Count  Paulo 221 

The  Invasion 878 


THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

COUNTESS   XATALIE   DOLGORUCKI. 

"  No,  Natalie,  weep  no  more !  Quick,  dry  your  tears. 
Let  not  my  executioner  see  that  we  can  feel  pain  or  weep 
for  sorrow ! " 

Drying  her  tears,  she  attempted  a  smile,  but  it  was  an 
unnatural,  painful  smile. 

"  Ivan,"  said  she,  "  we  will  forget,  forget  all,  excepting 
that  we  love  each  other,  and  thus  only  can  I  become  cheer- 
ful. And  tell  me,  Ivan,  have  I  not  always  been  in  good 
spirits?  Have  not  these  long  eight  years  in  Siberia  passed 
away  like  a  pleasant  summer  day?  Have  not  our  hearts  re- 
mained warm,  and  has  not  our  love  continued  undisturbed 
by  the  inclement  Siberian  cold  ?  You  may,  therefore,  well 
see  that  I  have  the  courage  to  bear  all  that  can  be  borne. 
But  you,  my  beloved,  you  my  husband,  to  see  you  die,  with- 
out being  able  to  save  you,  without  being  permitted  to  die 
with  you,  is  a  cruel  and  unnatural  sacrifice !  Ivan,  let  me 
weep ;  let  your  murderer  see  that  I  yet  have  tears.  Oh,  my 
God,  I  have  no  longer  any  pride,  I  am  nothing  but  a  poor 
heart-broken  woman !  Your  widow,  I  weep  over  the  yet 
living  corpse  of  my  husband  ! "     With  convulsive  sobs  the 


2        THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

trembling  young  wife  fell  upon  her  knees  and  with  frantic 
grief  clung  to  her  husband's  feet. 

Count  Ivan  Dolgorucki  no  longer  felt  the  ability  to  stand 
aloof  from  her  sorrow.  He  bent  down  to  his  wife,  raised 
her  in  his  arms,  and  with  her  he  wept  his  youth,  his  lost 
life,  the  vanishing  happiness  of  his  love,  and  the  shame  of 
his  fatherland. 

"  I  should  joyfully  go  to  my  death,  were  it  for  the  bene- 
fit of  my  country,"  said  he.  "  But  to  fall  a  sacrifice  to  a 
cabal,  to  the  jealousy  of  an  insidious,  knavish  favorite,  is 
what  makes  "the  death-hour  fearful.  Ah,  I  die  for  naught, 
I  die  that  Miinnich,  Ostermann,  and  Biron,  may  remain 
securely  in  power.     It  is  horrible  thus  to  die !  " 

Natalie's  eyes  flashed  with  a  fanatic  glow.  "  You  die," 
said  she,  "  and  I  shall  live,  will  live,  to  see  how  God  will 
avenge  you  upon  these  evil-doers.  I  will  live,  that  I  may 
constantly  think  of  you,  and  in  every  hour  of  the  day 
address  to  God  my  prayers  for  vengeance  and  retribu- 
tion ! " 

"  Live  and  pray  for  our  fatherland ! "  said  Ivan. 

"No,"  she  angrily  cried,  "rather  let  God's  curse  rest 
upon  this  Russia,  which  delivers  over  its  noblest  men  to  the 
executioner,  and  raises  its  ignoblest  women  to  the  throne. 
No  blessing  for  Russia,  which  is  cursed  in  all  generations 
and  for  all  timie — no  blessing  for  Russia,  whose  bloodthirsty 
czarina  permits  the  slaughter  of  the  noble  Ivan  and  his 
brothers ! " 

"  Ah,"  said  Ivan,  "  how  beautiful  you  now  are — how  flash 
your  eyes,  and  how  radiantly  glow  your  cheeks !  Would 
that  my  executioner   were  now  come,  that  he  might  see 


COUNTESS  NATALIE  DOLGORUCKI.  3 

in  you  the  heroine,  Natalie,  and  not  the  sorrow-stricken 
woman ! " 

"  Ah,  your  prayer  is  granted  ;  hear  you  not  the  rattling 
of  the  bolts,  the  roll  of  the  drum  ?  They  are  coming,  Ivan, 
they  are  coming ! " 

"  Farewell,  Natalie — farewell,  forever  !  " 

And,  mutually  embracing,  they  took  one  last,  long  kiss, 
but  wept  not. 

"  Hear  me,  Natalie  !  when  they  bind  me  upon  the  wheel, 
weep  not.  Be  resolute,  my  wife,  and  pray  that  their  tor- 
ments may  not  render  me  weak,  and  that  no  cry  may  escape 
my  lips ! " 

"  I  will  pray,  Ivan." 

In  half  an  hour  all  was  over.  The  noble  and  virtuous 
Count  Ivan  Dolgorucki  had  been  broken  upon  the  wheel, 
and  three  of  his  brothers  beheaded,  and  for  what? — Be- 
cause Count  Miinnich,  fearing  that  the  noble  and  respected 
brothers  Dolgorucki  might  dispossess  him  of  his  usurped 
power,  had  persuaded  the  Czarina  Anna  that  they  were 
plotting  her  overthrow  for  the  purpose  of  raising  Katharina 
Ivanovna  to  the  imperial  throne.  No  proof  or  conviction 
was  required ;  Miinnich  had  said  it,  and  that  sufficed ;  the 
Dolgoruckis  were  annihilated  ! 

But  Natalie  Dolgorucki  still  lived,  and  from  the  bloody 
scene  of  her  husband's  execution  she  repaired  to  Kiew. 
There  would  she  live  in  the  cloister  of  the  Penitents,  pre- 
serving the  memory  of  the  being  she  loved,  and  imploring 
the  vengeance  of  Heaven  upon  his  murderers ! 

It  was  in  the  twilight  of  a  clear  summer  night  when 
Natalie  reached  the  cloister  in  which  she  was  on  the  next 


4        THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

day  to  take  the  vows  and  exchange  her  ordinary  dress  for 
the  robe  of  hair-cloth  and  the  nun's  veil. 

Foaming  rushed  the  Dnieper  within  its  steep  banks, 
hissing  broke  the  waves  upon  the  gigantic  boulders,  and  in 
the  air  was  heard  the  sound  as  of  howling  thunder  and  a 
roaring  storm. 

"  I  will  take  my  leave  of  nature  and  of  the  world,"  mur- 
mured Natalie,  motioning  her  attendants  to  remain  at  a 
distance,  and  with  firm  feet  climbing  the  steep  rocky  bank 
of  the  rushing  Dnieper.  Upon  their  knees  her  servants 
prayed  below,  glancing  up  to  the  rock  upon  which  they  saw 
the  tall  form  of  their  mistress  in  the  moonlight,  which  sur- 
rounded it  with  a  halo  ;  the  stars  laid  a  radiant  crown  upon 
her  pure  brow,  and  her  locks,  floating  in  the  wind,  resembled 
wings  ;  to  her  servants  she  seemed  an  angel  borne  upon  air 
and  light  and  love  upward  to  her  heavenly  home !  Na- 
talie stood  there  tranquil  and  tearless.  The  thoughtful 
glances  of  her  large  eyes  swept  over  the  whole  surrounding 
region.  She  took  leave  of  the  world,  of  the  trees  and  flowers, 
of  the  heavens  and  the  earth.  Below,  at  her  feet,  lay  the 
cloister,  and  Natalie,  stretching  forth  her  arms  toward  it, 
exclaimed  :  "  That  is  my  grave  !  Happy,  blessed  Ivan,  thou 
diedst  ere  being  coffined  ;  but  I  shall  be  coffined  while  yet 
alive !  I  stand  here  by  thy  tomb,  mine  Ivan.  They  have 
bedded  thy  noble  form  in  the  cold  waves  of  the  Dnieper, 
whose  rushing  and  roaring  was  thy  funeral  knell,  mine 
Ivan !  I  shall  dwell  by  thy  grave,  and  in  the  deathlike  still- 
ness of  my  cell  shall  hear  the  tones  of  the  solemn  hymn  with 
which  the  impetuous  stream  will  rock  thee,  to  thine  eternal 
rest !    Receive,  then,  ye  sacred  waves  of  the  Dnieper,  receive 


COUNT  MtTNNICH.  5 

thou,  mine  Ivan,  in  thy  cold  grave,  thy  wife's  vow  of  fidelity 
to  thee.  Again  will  I  espouse  thee — in  life  as  in  death,  am 
I  thine!" 

And,  drawing  from  her  finger  the  wedding-ring  which 
her  beloved  husband  had  once  placed  upon  it,  she  threw  it 
into  the  foaming  waves.* 

Bending  down,  she  saw  the  ring  sinking  in  the  waters 
and  murmured :  "  I  greet  thee,  Ivan,  I  greet  thee !  Take 
my  ring — forever  am  1  thine  ! " 

Then,  rising  proudly  up,  and  stretching  forth  her  arms 
toward  heaven,  she  exclaimed  aloud :  "  I  now  go  to  pray 
that  God  may  send  thee  vengeance.  Woe  to  Kussia,  woe  ! " 
and  the  stream  with  its  boisterous  waves  howled  and  thun- 
dered after  her  the  words  :  "  Woe  to  Russia,  woe  ! " 


CHAPTER  II. 

COUNT  MUNNICH. 

The  Empress  Anna  was  dead,  and — an  unheard-of  case 
in  Russian  imperial  history — she  had  even  died  a  natural 
death.  Again  was  the  Russian  imperial  throne  vacated ! 
Who  is  there  to  mount  it  ?  whom  has  the  empress  named  as 
her  successor  ?  No  one  dared  to  speak  of  it ;  the  question 
was  read  in  all  eyes,  but  no  lips  ventured  to  open  for  the 
utterance  of  an  answer,  as  every  conjecture,  every  expression, 
if  unfounded  and  unfulfilled,  would  be  construed  into  the 

*  "  Notice  sur  les  Principales  Families  de  la  Russie.  Par  le  Prince 
Pierre  Dolgorouky,"  p.  30. 


6        THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

crime  of  high-treason  as  soon  as  another  than  the  one  thus 
indicated  should  be  called  to  the  throne ! 

Who  will  obtain  that  throne  ?  So  asked  each  man  in  his 
heart.  The  courtiers  and  great  men  of  the  realm  asked  it 
with  shuddering  and  despair.  For,  to  whom  should  they 
now  go  to  pay  their  homage  and  thus  recommend  themselves 
to  favor  in  advance  ?  Should  they  go  to  Biron,  the  Duke  of 
Courland  ?  Was  it  not  possible  that  the  dying  empress  had 
chosen  him,  her  warmly-beloved  favorite,  her  darling  minion, 
as  her  successor  to  the  throne  of  all  the  Russias  ?  But  how 
if  she  had  not  done  so  ?  If,  instead,  she  had  chosen  her 
niece,  the  wife  of  Prince  Anton  Ulrich,  of  Brunswick, 
as  her  successor  ?  Or  was  it  not  also  possible  that  she  had 
declared  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  Czar 
Peter  the  Great,  as  empress  ?  The  latter,  indeed,  had  the 
greatest,  the  most  incontestable  right  to  the  imperial 
throne  of  Russia;  was  she  not  the  sole  lawful  heir  of 
her  father  ?  How,  if  one  therefore  went  to  her  and  con- 
gratulated her  as  empress?  But  if  one  should  make  a 
mistake,  how  then? 

The  courtiers,  as  before  said,  shuddered  and  hesitated, 
and,  in  order  to  avoid  making  a  mistake,  did  nothing  at  all. 
They  remained  in  their  palaces,  ostensibly  giving  themselves 
up  to  deep  mourning  for  the  decease  of  the  beloved  czarina, 
whom  every  one  of  them  secretly  hated  so  long  as  she  was 
yet  alive. 

There  were  but  a  few  who  were  not  in  uncertainty  re- 
specting the  immediate  future,  and  conspicuous  among  that 
few  was  Field-Marshal  Count  Miinnich. 

While  all  hesitated  and  wavered  in  anxious  doubt,  Miin- 


COUNT   MtNNICH.     '  7 

nich  alone  was  calm.  He  knew  what  was  coming,  because 
he  had  had  a  hand  in  shaping  the  event. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  while  walking  his  room  with  folded  arms, 
"  we  have  at  length  attained  the  object  of  our  wishes,  and 
this  bright  emblem  for  which  I  have  so  long  striven  will 
now  finally  become  mine,  I  shall  be  the  ruler  of  this  land, 
and  in  the  unrestricted  exercise  of  royal  power  I  shall  be- 
hold these  millions  of  venal  slaves  grovelling  at  my  feet,  and 
whimpering  for  a  glance  or  a  smile.  Ah,  how  sweet  is  this 
governing  power  ! 

"  But,"  he  then  continued,  with  a  darkened  brow, 
"  what  is  the  good  of  being  the  ruler  if  I  cannot  bear  the 
name  of  ruler? — what  is  it  to  govern,  if  another  is  to  be 
publicly  recognized  as  regent  and  receive  homage  as  such  ? 
The  kernel  of  this  glory  will  be  mine,  but  the  shell, — I  also 
languish  for  the  shell.  But  no,  this  is  not  the  time  for 
such  thoughts,  now,  when  the  circumstances  demand  a 
cheerful  mien  and  every  outward  indication  of  satisfaction  ! 
My  time  will  also  come,  and,  when  it  comes,  the  shell  as 
well  as  the  kernel  shall  be  mine  !  But  this  is  the  hour  for 
waiting  upon  the  Duke  of  Courland !  I  shall  be  the  first 
to  wish  him  joy,  and  shall  at  the  same  time  remind  him 
that  he  has  given  me  his  ducal  word  that  he  will  grant  the 
first  request  I  shall  make  to  him  as  regent.  Well,  well,  I 
will  ask  now,  that  I  may  hereafter  command." 

The  field-marshal  ordered  his  carriage  and  proceeded  to 
the  palace  of  the  Duke  of  Courland, 

A  deathlike  stillness  prevailed  in  the  streets  through 
which  he  rode.  On  every  hand  were  to  be  seen  only  cur- 
tained windows  and  closed  palaces ;  it  seemed  as  if  this  usu- 


8        THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

ally  so  brilliant  and  noisy  quarter  of  St.  Petersburg  had 
suddenly  become  deserted  and  desolate.  The  usual  equi- 
pages, with  their  gold  and  silver-laced  attendants,  were  no- 
where to  be  seen. 

The  count's  carriage  thundered  through  the  deserted 
streets,  but  wherever  he  passed  curious  faces  were  seen  peep- 
ing from  the  curtained  windows  of  the  palaces;  all  doors 
were  hastily  opened  behind  him,  and  he  was  followed  by 
the  runners  of  the  counts  and  princes,  charged  with  the 
duty  of  espying  his  movements. 

Count  Miinnich  saw  all  that,  and  smiled. 

"  I  have  .now  given  them  the  signal,"  said  he,  "  and 
this  servile  Russian  nobility  will  rush  hither,  like  fawning 
hounds,  to  bow  before  a  new  idol  and  pay  it  their  venal 
homage." 

The  carriage  now  stopped  before  the  palace  of  the  Duke 
of  Courland,  and  with  an  humble  and  reverential  mien 
Miinnich  ascended  the  stairs  to  the  brilliant  apartments  of 
Biron. 

He  found  the  duke  alone ;  absorbed  in  thought,  he  was 
standing  at  the  window  looking  down  into  streets  which 
were  henceforth  to  be  subjected  to  his  sway. 

"  Your  highness  is  surveying  your  realm,"  said  Miin- 
nich, with  a  smile.  "  Wait  but  a  little,  and  you  will  soon 
see  all  the  great  nobility  flocking  here  to  pay  you  homage. 
My  carriage  stops  before  your  door,  and  these  sharp-scent- 
ing hounds  now  know  which  way  to  turn  with  their  abject 
adoration." 

"  Ah,"  sadly  responded  Biron,  "  I  dread  the  coming 
hour.     I   have  a   misfortune-prophesying  heart,  and   this 


COUNT  MtNNlCH.  9 

night,  in  a  dream,  I  saw  myself  in  a  miserable  hut,  covered 
with  beggarly  rags,  shivering  with  cold  and  fainting  with 
hunger ! " 

"  That  dream  indicates  prosperity  and  happiness,  your 
highness,"  laughingly  responded  Miinnich,  "  for  dreams 
are  always  interpreted  by  contraries.  You  saw  yourself 
as  a  beggar  because  you  were  to  become  our  ruler — be- 
cause a  purple  mantle  will  this  day  be  placed  upon  your 
shoulders." 

"  Blood  also  is  purple,"  gloomily  remarked  the  duke, 
"and  a  sharp  poniard  may  also  convert  a  beggar's  blouse 
into  a  purple  mantle !  Oh,  my  friend,  would  that  I  had 
never  become  what  I  am !  One  sleeps  ill  when  one  must 
constantly  watch  his  happiness  lest  it  escape  him.  And 
think  of  it,  my  fortunes  are  dependent  upon  the  eyes  of 
a  child,  a  nurseling,  that  with  its  mother's  milk  imbibes 
hatred  to  me,  and  whose  first  use  of  speech  will  be,  perhaps, 
to  curse  me ! " 

"  Then  it  must  be  your  task  to  teach  the  young  emperor 
Ivan  to  speak,"  exclaimed  Miinnich — "  in  that  case  he  will 
learn  to  bless  you." 

"  I  shall  not  be  able  to  snatch  him  from  his  parents," 
said  Biron.  "  But  those  parents  certainly  hate  me,  and 
indeed  very  naturally,  as  they,  it  seems,  were,  next  to 
me,  designated  as  the  guardians  of  their  son  Ivan.  The 
Duchess  Anna  Leopoldowna  of  Brunswick  is  ambitious." 

"  Bah !  for  the  present  she  is  in  love,"  exclaimed  Miin- 
nich, with  a  laugh,  "  and  women,  when  in  love,  think  of 
nothing  but  their  love.  But  only  look,  your  highness,  did 
I  not  prophesy  correctly?     Only  see  the  numerous  equi- 


10       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

pages  now  stopping  before  your  door !    The  street  will  soon 
be  too  narrow  to  contain  them." 

And  in  the  street  below  was  really  to  be  seen  the  rapid 
arrival  of  a  great  number  of  the  most  splendid  equipages, 
from  which  alighted  beautiful  and  richly-dressed  women, 
whose  male  companions  were  covered  with  orders,  and  who 
were  all  hastening  into  the  palace.  There  was  a  pressing 
and  pushing  which  produced  the  greatest  possible  confu- 
sion. Every  one  wished  to  be  the  first  to  congratulate  the 
new  ruler,  and  to  assure  him  of  their  unbounded  devotion. 

The  duke's  halls  were  soon  filled  with  Russian  magnates, 
and  when  at  length  the  duke  himself  made  his  appearance 
among  them,  he  everywhere  saw  only  happy,  beaming  faces, 
and  encountered  only  glances  of  love  and  admiration.  The 
warmest  wishes  of  all  these  hundreds  seemed  to  have  been 
fulfilled,  and  Biron  was  precisely  tlie  man  whom  all  had 
desired  for  their  emperor. 

And,  standing  in  the  centre  of  these  halls,  they  read  to 
Biron  the  testament  of  the  deceased  Empress  Anna :  that 
testament  designated  Ivan,  the  son  of  the  Duchess  Anna 
Leopoldowna  and  Prince  Ulrich  of  Brunswick,  as  emperor, 
and  him,  Duke  Biron  of  Courland,  as  absolute  regent  of  the 
empire  during  the  minority  of  the  emperor,  who  had  now 
just  reached  the  age  of  seven  months.  The  joy  of  the  mag- 
nates was  indescribable ;  they  sank  into  each  other's  arms 
with  tears  of  joy.  At  this  moment  old  enemies  were  recon- 
ciled ;  women  who  had  long  nourished  a  .mutual  hatred, 
now  tenderly  pressed  each  other's  hands ;  tears  of  joy  were 
trembling  in  eyes  which  had  never  before  been  known  to 
weep ;  friendly  smiles  were  seen  on  lips  which  had  usually 


COUNT  MtNNlCII.  H 

been  curled  with  anger ;  and  every  one  extolled  with  ecstasy 
the  happiness  of  Eussia,  and  humbly  bowed  before  the  new 
sun  now  rising  over  that  blessed  realm. 

With  the  utmost  enthusiasm  they  all  took  the  oath  of 
fidelity  to  the  new  ruler,  and  then  hastened  to  the  palace 
of  the  Prince  of  Brunswick,  there  with  the  humblest  sub- 
jection to  kiss  the  delicate  little  hand  of  the  child-emperor 
Ivan. 

Miinnich  was  again  alone  with  the  duke,  who,  forgetting 
all  his  ill-boding  dreams,  now  gave  himself  up  to  the  proud 
feeling  of  his  greatness  and  power. 

"  Let  them  all  go,"  said  he,  "  these  magnates,  to  kiss  the 
liand  of  this  emperor  of  seven  months,  and  wallow  in  the 
dust  before  the  cradle  of  a  whimpering  nurseling !  I  shall 
nevertheless  be  the  real  emperor,  and  both  sceptre  and  crown 
will  remain  in  my  hands ! " 

"  But  in  your  greatness  and  splendor  you  will  not  for- 
get your  faithful  and  devoted  friends,"  said  Miinnich ; 
"your  highness  will  reijiember  that  it  was  I  who  chiefly 
induced  the  empress  to  name  you  as  regent  during  the 
minority  of  Ivan,  and  that  you  gave  me  your  word  of 
honor  that  you  would  grant  me  the  first  request  I  should 
make  to  you." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  said  Biron,  with  a  sly  smile,  thought- 
fully pacing  the  room  with  his  hands  behind  his  back. 
But,  suddenly  stopping,  he  remained  standing  before 
Miinnich,  and,  looking  him  sharply  in  the  eye,  said :  "  Shall 
I  for  once  interpret  your  thoughts,  Field-Marshal  Count 
Miinnich  ?  Shall  I  for  once  tell  you  why  you  used  all  your 
influence  to  decide  the  Empress  Anna  to  name  me  for  the 


12       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

regency  ?  Ah,  you  had  a  sharp  eye,  a  sure  glance,  and  con- 
sequently discovered  that  Anna  had  long  since  resolved  in 
her  heart  to  name  me  for  the  regency,  before  you  under- 
took to  confirm  her  in  this  resolve  by  your  sage  counsels. 
But  you  said  to  yourself :  '  This  good  empress  loves  the 
Duke  of  Courland;  hence  she  will  undoubtedly  desire  to 
render  him  great  and  happy  in  spite  of  all  opposition,  and  if 
I  aid  in  tliis  by  my  advice  I  shall  bind  both  parties  to  my- 
self ;  the  empress,  by  appearing  to  be  devoted  to  her  favorite, 
and  the  favorite,  by  aiding  him  in  the  accomplishment  of 
his  ambitious  plans.  I  shall  therefore  secure  my  own  posi- 
tion, both  for  the  present  and  future ! '  Confess  to  me,  field- 
marshal,  that  these  were  your  thoughts  and  calculations." 

"The  regent.  Sir  Duke  of  Courland,  has  a  great  knowl- 
edge of  human  nature,  and  hence  I  dare  not  contradict 
him,"  said  Miinnich,  with  a  constrained  laugh.  "  Your 
highness  therefore  recognizes  the  service  that  I,  from  what- 
ever motive,  have  rendered  you,  and  hence  you  will  not  re- 
fuse to  grant  my  request." 

"  Let  me  hear  it,"  said  the  duke,  stretching  himself  out 
on  a  divan,  and  negligently  playing  with  a  portrait  of  the 
Empress  Anna,  splendidly  ornamented  with  brilliants,  and 
suspended  from  his  neck  by  a  heavy  gold  chain. 

"Name  me  generalissimo  of  all  the  troops,"  said 
Miinnich,  with  solemnity. 

"Of  all  the  troops?"  asked  Biron.  "Including  those 
on  the  water,  or  only  those  on  land  ?  " 

"  The  troops  on  the  water  as  well  as  those  on  land."  * 

*  Levecque,  "  Histoire  de  la  Russie,"  vol.  v.,  p.  309. 


COUNT  MtTNNICH.  13 

"  Ah,  that  means,  I  am  to  give  yoii  unlimited  power, 
and  thus  place  you  at  the  head  of  all  affairs ! "  Then,  sud- 
denly rising  from  his  reclining  position,  and  striding  di- 
rectly to  Miiuuich,  the  duke  threateningly  said :  "  In  my 
first  observation  I  forgot  to  interpret  a  few  of  your  thoughts 
and  plans.  I  will  now  tell  you  why  you  wished  for  my  ap- 
pointment as  regent.  You  desired  it  for  the  advancement 
of  your  own  ambitious  plans.  You  knew  Biron  as  an 
effeminate,  yielding,  pleasure-seeking  favorite  of  the  em- 
press— you  saw  him  devoted  only  to  amusement-  and  en- 
joyment, and  you  said  to  yourself :  '  That  is  the  man  I 
need.  As  I  cannot  myself  be  made  regent,  let  it  be  him ! 
I  will  govern  through  him ;  and  while  this  voluptuous  de- 
votee of  pleasure  gives  himself  up  to  the  intoxication  of 
enjoyments,  I  will  rule  in  his  stead.'  Well,  Mr.  Field-Mar- 
ahal,  were  not  those  your  thoughts  ?  " 

Miinnich  had  turned  very  pale  while  the  duke  was  thus 
speaking,  and  a  sombre  inquietude  was  depicted  on  his 
features. 

"  I  know  not,"  he  stammered,  with  embarrassment. 

"  But  /  know ! "  thundered  the  duke,  "  and  in  your 
terror-struck  face  I  read  the  confirmation  of  what  I  have 
said.  Look  in  the  glass,  sir  count,  and  you  will  make  no 
further  attempt  at  denial." 

"  But  the  question  here  is  not  about  what  I  might  have 
once  thought,  but  of  what  you  promised  me.  Your  high- 
ness, I  have  made  my  first  request !  It  is  for  you  to  grant 
it.  I  implore  you  on  the  strength  of  your  ducal  word  to 
name  me  as  the  generalissimo  of  your  troops ! " 

"  No,  never  ! "  exclaimed  the  duke. 


14  TFTE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN   EMPRESS. 

"  You  gave  me  your  word  ! " 

"  I  gave  it  as  Duke  of  Courland !  TJie  regent  is  not 
bound  by  the  promise  of  the  duke." 

"  I  made  you  regent !  "  ' 

"  And  I  do  not  make  you  generalissimo  !  " 

"  You  forfeit  your  word  of  honor  ?  " 

"  No,  ask  something  else,  and  I  will  grant  it.  But  this 
is  not  feasible.  I  must  myself  be  the  generalissimo  of  my 
own  troops,  or  I  should  no  longer  be  the  ruler!  Ask, 
therefore,  for  something  else." 

Miinnich  was  silent.  His  features  indicated  a  frightful 
commotion,  -and  his  bosom  heaved  violently. 

"  I  have  nothing  further  to  ask,"  said  he,  after  a 
pause. 

"  But  I  will  confer  upon  you  a  favor  without  your  ask- 
ing it ! "  proudly  responded  the  duke.  "  Count  Miinnich, 
I  confirm  you  in  your  offices  and  dignities,  and,  to  prove  to 
you  my  unlimited  confidence,  you  shall  continue  to  be  what 
you  were  under  the  Empress  Anna,  field-marshal  in  the 
Russian  army ! " 

"  I  thank  you,  sir  duke,"  calmly  replied  Miinnich.  "  It 
is  very  n(jble  in  you  that  you  do  not  send  me  into  banish- 
ment for  my  presumptuous  demand." 

Clasping  the  offered  hand  of  the  duke,  he  respectfully 
pressed  it  to  his  lips. 

"  And  now  go,  to  kiss  the  hand  of  the  young  emperor, 
that  you  may  not  be  accused  of  disrespect,"  smilingly  added 
Biron  ;  "  one  must  always  preserve  appearances." 

Miinnich  silently  bowed,  while  walking  backward  to- 
ward the  door. 


COUNT  OSTERMANN.  15 

"  We  part  as  friends  ? "  asked  the  duke,  nodding  an 
adieu. 

"  As  friends  for  life  and  death  !  "  said  Miinnich,  with  a 
smile. 

But  no  sooner  had  the  door  closed  behind  him  than  the 
smile  vanished  from  his  features,  and  was  replaced  by  an 
expression  of  furious  rage.  He  threateningly  shook  his  fist 
toward  the  door  which  separated  him  from  the  duke,  and 
with  convulsively  compressed  lips  and  grating  teeth  he 
said :  "  Yes,  we  now  part  as  friends,  but  we  shall  yet  meet 
as  enemies!  I  shall  remember  this  hour,  sir  duke,  and 
shall  do  my  best  to  prevent  your  forgetting  it.  Ah,  you 
have  not  sent  me  to  Siberia,  but  I  will  send  you  there ! 
And  now  to  the  Emperor  Ivan.  I  shall  there  meet  his 
parents,  the  shamefully-slighted  Ulrich  of  Brunswick,  and 
his  wife  Anna  Leopoldowna.  I  think  they  will  welcome 
me." 

With  a  firm  step,  rage  and  vengeance  in  his  heart,  but 
outwardly  smiling  and  submissive,  Field-Marshal  Count 
Miinnich  betook  himself  to  the  palace  of  the  Duke  of 
Brunswick  to  kiss  the  hand  of  the  cradled  Emperor  Ivan. 


CHAPTER  III. 

COUNT   OSTERMANN. 

Four  weeks  had  passed  since  Biron,  Duke  of  Courland, 
had  commenced  his  rule  over  Russia,  as  regent,  in  the  name 
of  the  infant  Emperor   Ivan.     The   Russian  people  had 


16       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

with  indiiffereuce  submitted  to  this  new  ruler,  and  mani- 
fested the  same  subjection  to  him  as  to  his  predecessor.  It 
was  all  the  same  to  them  whoever  sat  in  godlike  splendor 
npon  the  magnificent  imperial  throne — what  care  that  mass 
of  degraded  slaves,  who  are  crawling  in  the  dust,  for  the 
name  by  which  their  tyrants  are  called?  They  remain 
what  they  are,  slaves ;  and  the  one  upon  the  throne  remains 
what  he  is,  their  absolute  lord  and  tyrant,  who  has  the  right 
to-day  to  scourge  them  with  whips,  to-morrow  to  make 
them  barons  and  counts,  and  perhaps  the  next  day  to  send 
them  to  Siberia,  or  subject  them  to  the  infliction  of  the 
fatal  knout.  Whoever  proclaims  himself  emperor  or  dicta- 
tor, is  greeted  by  the  Eussian  people,  that  horde  of  creep- 
ing slaves,  as  their  lord  and  master,  the  supreme  disposer  of 
life  and  death,  while  tliey  crawl  in  the  dust  at  his  feet. 

They  had  sworn  allegiance  to  the  Eegent  Biron,  as  they 
had  to  the  Empress  Anna ;  they  threw  themselves  upon  the 
earth  when  they  met  him,  they  humbly  bared  their  heads 
when  passing  his  palace ;  and  Avhen  the  magnates  of  the 
realm,  the  princes  and  counts  of  Russia,  in  their  proud  equi- 
pages, discovered  the  regent's  carriage  in  the  distance,  they 
ordered  a  halt,  descended  from  their  vehicles,  and  bowed 
themselves  to  the  ground  before  their  passing  lord.  In 
Russia,  all  distinctions  of  rank  cease  in  the  presence  of  the 
ruler ;  there  is  but  one  lord,  and  one  trembling  slave,  be  he 
prince  or  beggar,  and  that  lord  must  be  obeyed,  whether  he 
commands  a  murder  or  any  other  crime.  The  word  and 
will  of  the  emperor  purify  and  sactify  every  act,  blessing  it 
and  making  it  honorable. 

Biron  was  emperor,  although  he  bore  only  the  name  of 


COUNT  OSTERMANN.  17 

regent;  he  had  the  power  and  the  dominion;  the  infant 
nurseling  Ivan,  the  minor  emperor,  was  but  a  shadow,  a 
phantom,  having  the  appearance  but  not  tlie  reality  of  lord- 
ship ;  he  was  a  thing  unworthy  of  notice ;  he  could  make 
no  one  tremble  with  fear,  and  therefore  it  was  unnecessary 
to  crawl  in  the  dust  before  him. 

Homage  was  paid  to  the  Eegent  Biron,  Duke  of  Cour- 
land ;  the  palace  of  Prince  Ulrich  of  Brunswick,  and  his 
son,  the  Emperor  Ivan,  stood  empty  and  desolate.  No  one 
regarded  it,  and  yet  perhaps  it  was  worthy  of  regard. 

Yet  many  repaired  to  this  quiet,  silent  palace,  to  know 
whom  Biron  would  perhaps  have  given  princedoms  and 
millions !  But  no  one  was  there  to  betray  them  to  the 
regent ;  they  were  very  silent  and  very  cautious  in  the  pal- 
ace of  the  Prince  of  Brunswick  and  his  wife  the  Princess 
Anna  Leopoldowna. 

It  was,  as  we  have  said,  about  four  weeks  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  regency  of  the  Duke  of  Courland,  when 
a  sedan-chair  was  set  down  before  a  small  back  door  of  the 
Duchess  Anna  Leopoldowna's  palace ;  it  had  been  borne 
and  accompanied  by  four  serfs,  over  whose  gold-embroid- 
ered liveries,  as  if  to  protect  them  from  the  weather,  had 
been  laid  a  tolerably  thick  coat  of  dust  and  sweat.  Equally 
splendid,  elegant,  and  unclean  was  the  chair  which  the  serv- 
ants now  opened  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  their  age-enfee- 
bled master  to  emerge  from  it.  That  person,  who  now  made 
his  appearance,  was  a  shrunken,  trembling,  coughing  old 
gentleman  ;  his  small,  bent,  distorted  form  was  wrapped  in 
a  fur  cloak  which,  somewhat  tattered,  permitted  a  soiled 
and  faded  under-dress  to  make  itself  perceptible,  giving  to 


18  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

the  old  man  the  appearance  of  indigence  and  slovenliness. 
Nothing,  not  even  the  face,  or  the  thin  and  meagre  hands 
he  extended  to  his  servants,  was  neat  and  cleanly  ;  nothing 
about  him  shone  but  his  eyes,  those  gray,  piercing  eyes 
with  their  fiery  side-glances  and  their  now  kind  and  now 
sly  and  subtle  expression.  This  ragged  and  untidy  old  man 
might  have  been  taken  for  a  beggar,  had  not  his  dirty  fin- 
gers and  his  faded  neck-tie,  whose  original  color  was  hardly 
discoverable,  flashed  with  brilliants  of  an  unusual  size,  and 
had  not  the  arms  emblazoned  upon  the  door  of  his  chair,  in 
spite  of  the  dust  and  dirt,  betrayed  a  noble  rank.  The  arms 
were  those  of  the  Ostermann  family,  and  this  dirty  old  man 
in  the  ragged  cloak  was  Count  Ostermann,  the  famous  Rus- 
sian statesman,  the  son  of  a  German  preacher,  who  had 
managed  by  wisdom,  cunning,  and  intrigue  to  continue  in 
place  under  five  successive  Russian  emperors  or  regents, 
most  of  whom  had  usually  been  thrust  from  power  by  some 
bloody  means.  Czar  Peter,  who  first  appointed  him  as  a 
minister  of  state,  and  confided  to  him  the  department  of 
foreign  affairs,  on  his  death -bed  said  to  his  successor,  the 
first  Catharine,  that  Ostermann  was  the  only  one  who  had 
never  made  a  false  step,  and  recommended  him  to  his  wife 
as  a  prop  to  the  empire.  Catharine  appointed  him  imperial 
chancellor  and  tutor  of  Peter  II. ;  he  knew  how  to  secure 
and  preserve  the  favor  of  both,  and  the  successor  of  Peter 
II.,  the  Empress  Anna,  was  glad  to  retain  the  services  of 
the  celebrated  statesman  and  diplomatist  who  had  so  faith- 
fully  served  her  predecessors.  From  Anna  he  came  to  her 
favorite,  Baron  of  Courland,  who  did  not  venture  to  remove 
one  whose  talents  had  gained  for  him  so  distinguished  a 


COUNT  OSTERMANN.  19 

reputation,  and  who  in  any  case  might  prove  a  very  dan- 
gerous enemy. 

But  witli  Count  Ostermann  it  had  gone  as  with  Count 
Miinnich.  Neither  of  them  had  been  able  to  obtain  from 
the  regent  any  thing  more  than  a  confirmation  of  their 
offices  and  dignities,  to  which  Biron,  jealous  of  power,  had 
been  unwilling  to  make  any  addition.  Deceived  in  their 
expectations,  vexed  at  this  frustration  of  their  plans,  they 
had  both  come  to  the  determination  to  overthrow  the  man 
who  was  unwilling  to  advance  them ;  they  had  become 
Biron's  enemies  because  he  did  not  show  himself  their 
friend,  and,  openly  devoted  to  him  and  bowing  in  the  dust 
before  him,  they  had  secretly  repaired  to  his  bitterest  ene- 
my, the  Duchess  Anna  Leopoldowna,  to  offer  her  their  serv- 
ices against  the  haughty  regent  who  swayed  the  iron  scep- 
tre of  his  despotic  power  over  Russia.* 

A  decisive  conversation  was  this  day  to  be  held  with  the 
duchess  and  her  husband.  Prince  Ulrich  of  Brunswick,  and 
therefore,  an  unheard-of  case,  had  even  Count  Ostermann 
resolved  to  leave  his  dusty  room  for  some  hours  and  repair 
to  the  palace  of  the  Duchess  Anna  Leopoldowna. 

"  Slowly,  slowly,  ye  knaves,"  groaned  Ostermann,  as  he 
ascended  the  narrow  winding  stairs  with  the  aid  of  his  serv- 
ants." "  See  you  not,  you  hounds,  that  every  one  of  your 
movements  causes  me  insufferable  pain  ?  Ah,  a  fearful  ill- 
ness is  evidently  coming ;  it  is  already  attacking  my  limbs, 
and  pierces  and  agonizes  every  part  of  my  system  !  Let  my 
bed  be  prepared  at  home,  you  scamps,  and  have  a  strength- 

*  Levecque,  "  Histoire  de  Russie,"  vol.  v.,  p.  241. 


20       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ening  soup  made  ready  for  me.  And  now  away,  fellows, 
and  woe  to  you  if,  during  my  absence,  either  one  of  you 
should  dare  to  break  into  the  store-room  or  wine-cellar! 
You  know  that  I  have  good  eyes,  and  am  cognizant  of  every 
article  on  hand,  even  to  its  exact  weight  and  measure. 
Take  care,  therefore,  take  care !  for  if  but  an  ounce  of  meat 
or  a  glass  of  wine  is  missing,  I  will  have  you  whipped, 
you  hounds,  until  the  blood  flows.  That  you  may  depend 
upon ! " 

And,  dismissing  his  assistants  with  a  kick.  Count  Oster- 
mann  ascended  the  last  steps  of  the  winding  stairs  alone 
and  unaided.  But,  before  opening  the  door  at  the  head  of 
the  stairs,  he  took  time  for  reflection. 

"  Hem !  perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  for  me  to 
have  been  already  taken  ill,  for  if  this  plan  should  miscarry, 
and  the  regent  discover  that  I  was  in  this  palace  to-day, 
how  then  ?  Ah,  I  already  seem  to  feel  a  draught  of  Sibe- 
rian air !  But  no,  it  will  succeed,  and  how  would  that  am- 
bitious Miinnich  triumph  should  it  succeed  without  me ! 
No,  for  this  time  I  must  be  present,  to  the  vexation  of 
Miinnich,  that  he  may  not  put  all  Russia  in  his  pocket ! 
The  good  man  has  such  large  pockets  and  such  grasping 
hands ! " 

Nodding  and  smiling  to  himself,  Ostermann  opened 
the  door  of  the  anteroom.  A  rapid,  searching  glance  sat- 
isfied him  that  he  was  alone  there,  but  his  brow  darkened 
when  he  observed  Count  Miinnich's  mantle  lying  upon  a 
chair. 

"  Ah,  he  has  preceded  me,"  peevishly  murmured  Oster- 
mann.    "  Well,  well,  we  Can  afford  once  more  to  yield  the 


COUNT  OSTERMANN.  21 

precedence  to  him.  To-day  he — to-morrow  I !  My  turn 
will  come  to-morrow  !  " 

Quite  forgetting  his  illness  and  his  pretended  pains,  he 
rapidly  crossed  the  spacious  room,  and,  throwing  his  ragged 
fur  cloak  upon  Miinnich's  mantle,  said  : 

"  A  poor  old  cloak  like  this  is  yet  in  condition  to  render 
that  resplendent  uniform  invisible.  Not  a  spangle  of  that 
magnificent  gold  embroidery  can  be  seen,  it  is  all  over- 
shadowed by  the  ragged  old  cloak  which  Miinnich  so  much 
despises !  Oh,  the  good  field-marshal  will  rejoice  to  find 
his  mantle  in  such  good  company,  and  I  hope  my  old  cloak 
may  leave  some  visible  memento  upon  its  embroidered  com- 
panion. Well,  the  field-marshal  is  a  brave  man,  and  I  have 
given  him  an  opportunity  to  make  a  campaign  against  his 
own  mantle!  The  fool,  why  does  he  dislike  these  good 
little  animals,  and  would  yet  be  a  Eussian  ! " 

As,  however,  he  opened  the  door  of  the  next  room,  his 
form  again  took  its  former  shrunken,  frail  appearance,  and 
his  features  again  bore  the  expression  of  suffering  and  ex- 
haustion. 

"  Ah,  it  is  you,"  said  Prince  Ulrich,  advancing  to  meet 
the  count,  while  Miinnich  stood  near  a  writing-table,  in 
earnest  conversation  with  Anna  Leopoldowna,  to  whom  he 
seemed  to  be  explaining  something  upon  a  sheet  of  paper. 

"  We  have  waited  long  for  you,  my  dear  count,"  con- 
tinued the  prince,  offering  his  hand  to  the  new-comer,  with 
a  smile. 

"  The  old  and  the  sick  always  have  the  misfortune  to 
arrive  too  late,"  said  Count  Ostermann,  "  pain  and  suffer- 
ing are  such  hinderances,  your  grace.    And,  moreover,  I 


22       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

have  come  only  in  obedience  to  the  wishes  of  your  highness, 
well  knowing  that  I  am  superfluous  here.  What  has  the 
feeble  old  man  to  do  in  the  councils  of  the  strong?" 

"  To  represent  wisdom  in  council,"  said  the  prince,  "  and 
for  that,  you  are  precisely  the  man,  count." 

"  Ah,  Count  Ostermann,"  at  this  moment  interposed 
Miinnich,  "it  is  well  you  have  come.  You  will  be  best 
able  to  tell  their  excellencies  whether  I  am  right  or 
not." 

"  Field-Marshal  Miinnich  is  always  right,"  said  Oster- 
mann, with  a  pleasant  smile.  "  I  unconditionally  say  '  yes ' 
to  whatever  you  may  have  proposed,  provided  that  it  is  not 
a  proposition  of  which  my  judgment  cannot  approve." 

"  That  is  a  very  conditional  yes  !  "  exclaimed  the  duchess, 
laughing. 

"  A  '  yes,'  all  perforated  with  little  back  doors  through 
which  a  '  no '  may  conveniently  enter,"  laughed  the  prince. 

"  The  back  doors  are  in  all  cases  of  the  greatest  impor- 
tance," said  Count  Ostermann,  earnestly.  "  Through  back 
doors  one  often  attains  to  the  rooms  of  state,  and  had  your 
palace  here  accidentally  had  no  back  door  for  the  admission 
of  us,  your  devoted  servants,  who  knows,  your  highness 
Anna,  whether  you  would  on  this  very  night  become  re- 
gent ! " 

"  On  this  night !  "  suddenly  exclaimed  Miinnich.  "  You 
see,  your  highness,  that  Count  Ostermann  is  wholly  of  my 
opinion.     It  must  be  done  this  night ! " 

"  That  would  be  overhaste,"  cried  the  duchess ;  "  we  are 
not  yet  prepared  ! " 

"  Nor  is  the  regent,  Biron  of  Courland,"  thoughtfully 


COUNT  OSTERMANN.  23 

interposed  Ostermann  ;  "  and,  therefore,  our  overhaste  would 
take  Biron  by  surprise." 

"  Decidedly  my  opinion,"  said  Miinnich.  "  All  is  lost  if 
we  give  the  regent  time  and  leisure  to  make  his  arrange- 
ments. If  we  do  not  annihilate  him  to-day,  he  may,  per- 
haps, send  us  to  Siberia  to-morrow." 

The  duchess  turned  pale ;  a  trembling  ran  through  her 
tall,  noble  form. 

"  I  so  much  dread  the  shedding  of  blood  !  "  said  she. 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  at  all  vain,"  said  Ostermann.  "  I  find  it 
much  less  unpleasant  to  see  the  blood  of  others  flowing  than 
my  own.  It  may  be  egotism,  but  I  prefer  keeping  my  blood 
in  my  veins  to  exposing  it  to  the  gaping  curiosity  of  an  as- 
tonished crowd ! " 

"  You  think,  then,  that  he  already  suspects,  and  would 
murder  us  ?  " 

"  You,  us,  and  also  your  son,  the  Emperor  Ivan." 

"  Also  my  son  ! "  exclaimed  Leopoldowna,  her  eyes  flash- 
ing like  those  of  ai;i  enraged  lioness.  "  Ah,  I  should  know 
how  to  defend  my  son.     Let  Biron  fall  this  night ! " 

"  So  be  it !  "  unanimously  exclaimed  the  three  men. 

"  He  has  driven  us  to  this  extremity,"  said  the  princess. 
"  Not  enough  that  he  has  banished  our  friends  and  faithful 
servants,  surrounding  us  with  his  miserable  creatures  and 
spies — not  enough  that  he  wounds  and  humiliates  us  in 
every  way — he  would  rend  the  young  emperor  from  us,  his 
parents,  his  natural  protectors.  We  are  attacked  in  our 
holiest  rights,  and  must,  therefore,  defend  ourselves." 

"  But  what  shall  we  do  with  this  small  Biron,  when  he 
is  no  longer  the  great  regent  ?  "  asked  Ostermann. 


24       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  We  will  make  him  by  a  head  smaller,"  said  Miinnich, 
laughing. 

"  No,"  vehemently  exclaimed  Leopoldowna — "  no,  no 
blood  shall  flow !  Not  with  blood  shall  our  own  and  our 
son's  riglits  be  secured !  Swear  this,  gentlemen,  or  I  will 
never  give  my  consent  to  the  undertaking." 

"  I  well  knew  that  your  highness  would  so  decide,"  said 
Miinnich,  with  a  smile,  drawing  a  folded  paper  from  his 
bosom,  "  In  proof  of  which  I  hand  this  paper  to  your 
highness." 

"Ah,  what  is  this?"  said  the  duchess,  unfolding  the 
paper ;  "  it  is  the  ground  plan  of  a  house ! " 

"  Of  the  house  we  will  have  built  for  Biron  in  Siberia," 
said  Miinnich  ;  "  I  have  drawn  the  plan  myself."* 

"  In  fact,  you  are  a  skilful  architect.  Count  Munnich," 
said  Ostermann,  laughing,  while  casting  an  interrogating 
glance  at  the  paper  which  Anna  was  still  thoughtfully  ex- 
amining. "  How  well  you  have  arranged  it  all !  How  de- 
lightful these  snug  little  chambers  will  be !  There  will  be 
just  space  enough  in  them  to  turn  around  in.  But  these 
small  chambers  seem  to  be  a  little  too  low.  They  are  evi- 
dently not  more  than  five  feet  high.  As  Biron,  however, 
has  about  your  height,  he  will  not  be  able  to  stand  upright 
in  them." 

"  Bah  !  for  that  very  reason ! "  said  Miliinich,  with  a 
cruel  laugh.  "  He  has  carried  his  head  high  long  enough  ; 
now  he  may  learn  to  bow." 

"  But  that  will  be  a  continual  torment !  "  exclaimed  the 
Duke  of  Brunswick. 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  214.  ' 


COUNT  OSTERMANN.  25 

"Oh,  has  he  not  tormented  us?"  angrily  responded 
Miinnich.     "  We  need  reprisals." 

"  How  strange  and  horrible  ! "  said  Anna  Leopoldowna, 
shuddering  ;  "  this  man  is  now  standing  here  clothed  with 
unlimited  power,  and  we  are  already  holding  in  our  hands 
the  plan  of  his  prison  !  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  and  with  this  plan  in  his  pocket  will  Count 
Munnich  now  go  to  dine  with  Biron  and  enjoy  his  hospi- 
tality !  "  laughingly  exclaimed  Ostermann.  "  Ah,  that  must 
make  the  dinner  particularly  piquant !  How  agreeable  it 
must  be  to  press  the  regent's  hand,  and  at  the  same  time 
feel  the  rustling  in  your  pocket  of  the  paper  upon  which 
you  have  drawn  the  plan  of  his  Siberian  prison!  But  you 
are  in  the  right.  The  regent  has  deeply  offended  you.  How 
could  he  dare  refuse  to  make  you  his  generalissimo  ?  " 

"  Ah,  it  is  not  for  that,"  said  Miinnich  with  embarrass- 
ment; and,  seeking  to  give  the  conversation  a  different  turn, 
he  continued — "  ah,  see.  Count  Ostermann,  what  a  terrible 
animal  is  crawling  there  upon  your  dress ! " 

"  Policy,  nothing  but  policy,"  tranquilly  responded  Os- 
termann, while  the  princess  turned  away  with  an  expression 
of  repugnance. 

"Well,"  cried  the  prince,  laughing,  "explain  to  us, 
Count  Ostermann,  what  those  disgusting  insects  have  to  do 
with  policy  or  politics  ?  " 

"  We  are  all  four  Germans,"  said  Ostermann,  "  and  con- 
sequently are  all  familiar  with  the  common  saying,  '  Tell 
me  the  company  you  keep,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  you 
are ! '     I  have  always  kept  that  in  mind  since  I  have  been 

in  Russia ;  and  to  make  this  good  people  forget  that  I  am  a 
3 


26  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

foreigner,  I  have  taken  particular  pains  to  furnish  myself 
with  a  supply  of  their  dirt  and  of  these  delicate  insects.  If 
any  one  asks  me  who  I  am,  I  show  liim  these  creatures  with 
whom  I  associate,  and  he  immediately  concludes  that  I  am  a 
Russian." 

Ostermann  joined  in  the  laugh  that  followed  this  ex- 
planation, but  suddenly  he  uttered  a  piercing  cry,  and  sank 
down  upon  a  chair. 

"  Ah,  these  pains  will  be  the  death  of  me  !  "  he  moaned 
— "  ah,  I  already  feel  the  ravages  of  death  in  my  blood  ;  yes, 
I  have  long  known  that  a  dangerous  malady  was  hovering 
over  me,  and  my  death-bed  is  already  prepared  at  home  !  I 
am  a  poor  failing  old  man,  and  who  knows  whether  I  shall 
outlive  the  evening  of  this  day  ?  " 

While  Ostermann  was  thus  lamenting,  and  the  prince 
with  kindly  sympathy  was  occupied  about  him,  Miinnich 
had  returned  the  drawing  to  his  pocket,  and  was  speaking 
in  a  low  tone  to  the  duchess  of  some  yet  necessary  prepara- 
tions for  the  night.  Count  Ostermann,  notwithstanding 
his  lamentations  and  his  pretended  pains,  had  yet  a  sharp 
ear  for  every  word  they  spoke.  lie  very  distinctly  heard 
the  duchess  say  :  "  Well,  I  am  satisfied  !  I  shall  expect  you 
at  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  if  the  affair  is 
successful,  you.  Count  Miinnich,  may  be  sure  of  my  most 
fervent  gratitude ;  you  will  then  have  liberated  Russia, 
the  young  emperor,  and  myself,  from  a  cruel  and  despotic 
tyrant,  and  I  shall  be  eternally  beholden  to  you." 

Count  Miinnich's  brow  beamed  with  inward  satisfaction. 
"  I  shall,  then,  attain  my  ends,"  thought  he.  Aloud  he 
said :  "  Your  highness,  I  have  but  one  wish  and   orne  re- 


COUNT  OSTERMANN.  27 

quest ;  if  you  are  willing  to  fulfil  this,  then  will  there  be 
nothing  left  on  earth  for  me  to  desire." 

"  Then  name  your  request  at  once,  that  I  may  grant  it 
in  advance !  "  said  the  princess,  with  a  smile. 

"  The  man  is  getting  on  rapidly,  and  will  even  now  get 
the  appointment  of  generalissimo,"  thought  Ostermann. 
"  That  must  never  be ;  I  must  prevent  it !  " 

And  just  as  Mliunich  was  opening  his  mouth  to  prefer 
his  request,  Ostermann  suddenly  uttered  so  loud  and  pite- 
ous a  cry  of  anguish  that  the  compassionate  and  alarmed 
princess  hastened  to  offer  him  her  sympathy  and  aid. 

At  this  moment  the  clock  upon  the  wall  struck  four. 
That  was  the  hour  for  which  Miinnich  was  invited  to  dine 
with  the  regent.  It  would  not  do  to  fail  of  his  engage- 
ment to-day — he  must  be  punctual,  to  avoid  exciting  sus- 
picion. He,  therefore,  had  no  longer  the  time  to  lay  his 
request  before  the  princess ;  consequently  Count  Ostermann 
had  accomplished  his  object,  and  secretly  triumphing,  he 
loudly  groaned  and  complained  of  his  sufferings. 

Count  Miinnich  took  his  leave. 

"  I  go  now,"  he  smilingly  said,  "  to  take  my  last  dinner 
with  the  Duke  of  Courland.  I  shall  return  this  night  at 
the  appointed  hour.  We  shall  then  convert  the  duke  into 
a  Siberian  convict,  which,  at  all  events,  will  be  a  very  in- 
teresting operation." 

Thus  he  departed,  with  a  horrible  laugh  upon  his  lips, 
to  keep  his  appointment  with  the  regent. 

Count  Ostermann  had  again  attained  his  end — he  re- 
mained alone  with  the  princely  pair.  Had  Miinnich  been 
the  first  who  came,  Ostermann  was  the  last  to  go. 


28       TUE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  rising  with  apparent  difficulty,  "  I  will 
now  bear  my  old,  diseased  body  to  my  dwelling,  to  repose 
and  perhaps  to  die  upon  my  bed  of  pain." 

"  Not  to  die,  I  hope,"  said  Anna. 

"  You  must  live,  that  you  may  see  us  in  our  greatness," 
said  the  prince. 

Ostermann  feebly  shook  his  head.  "  I  see,  I  see  it  all," 
said  he.  "  You  will  liberate  yourself  from  one  tyrant,  your 
highness,  to  become  the  prey  of  another.  The  eyes  of  the 
dying  see  clear,  and  I  tell  you,  duchess,  you  were  already  on 
the  point  of  giving  away  the  power  you  have  attained. 
Know  you  what  Miinnich's  demand  will  be  ?  " 

"  Well  ?  " 

"He  will  demand  what  Biron  refused  him,  and  for 
which  refusal  Miinnich  became  his  enemy.  He  will  ask 
you  to  appoint  him  generalissimo  of  all  your  forces  by  land 
and  sea." 

"Then  will  he  demand  what  naturally  belongs  to 
me,"  said  the  prince,  excitedly,  "  and  we  shall  of  course 
refuse  it." 

"  Yes,  we  must  refuse  it,"  repeated  the  princess. 

"  And  in  that  you  will  do  well,"  said  Count  Ostermann. 
"  I  may  venture  to  say  so,  as  I  have  no  longer  the  least  am- 
bition— death  will  soon  relieve  me  from  all  participation  in 
affairs  of  state.  I  am  a  feeble  old  man,  and  desire  nothing 
more  than  to  be  allowed  occasionally  to  impart  good 
counsels  to  my  benefactors.  And  this  is  now  my  advice : 
Guard  yourselves  against  the  ambition  of  Count  Miinnich." 

"  We  shall  bear  your  counsel  in  mind,"  said  the  prince. 

"  We  will  not  appoint  him  generalissimo ! "  exclaimed 


COUNT  OSTERMANN.  29 

the  princess.  "  He  must  never  forget  that  he  is  our  serv- 
ant, and  we  his  masters." 

"  And  now  permit  me  to  go,  your  highness,"  said  Oster- 
mann.  "  Will  you  have  the  kindness,  prince,  to  command 
your  lackeys  to  bear  me  to  my  sedan-chair  ?  It  is  impos- 
sible for  me  to  walk  a  step.  Yes,  yes,  while  you  are  this 
night  contending  for  a  throne.  I  shall,  perhaps,  be  strug- 
gling with  death." 

And  with  a  groan,  sinking  back  into  the  arms  of  the 
lackeys  whom  the  prince  had  called,  Ostermann  suffered 
himself  to  be  carried  down  to  his  chair,  which  awaited  him 
at  the  door.  He  groaned  and  cried  out  as  they  placed  him 
in  it,  but  as  soon  as  its  doors  were  closed  and  his  serfs 
were  trotting  with  him  toward  his  own  palace,  the  suffer- 
ing expression  vanished  from  Ostermann's  face,  and  a  sly 
smile  of  satisfaction  played  upon  his  lips. 

"  I  think  I  have  well  employed  my  time,"  he  muttered 
to  himself.  "  The  good  Miinnich  will  never  become  gener- 
alissimo, and  poor  old  failing  Ostermann  may  now,  unsus- 
pected, go  quietly  to  bed  and  comfortably  await  the  coming 
events.  Such  an  illness,  at  the  right  time,  is  an  insurance 
against  all  accidents  and  miscarriages.  I  learned  that  after 
the  death  of  Peter  II.  Who  knows  what  would  then  have 
become  of  me  had  I  not  been  careful  to  remain  sick  in  bed 
until  Anne  had  mounted  the  throne  ?  I  will,  therefore, 
again  be  sick,  and  in  the  morning  we  shall  see !  Should 
this  conjuration  succeed,  very  well ;  then,  perhaps,  old 
Ostermann  will  gradually  recover  sufficient  health  to  take 
yet  a  few  of  the  burdens  of  state  upon  his  own  shoulders, 
and  thus  relieve  the  good  Miinnich  of  a  part  of  his  cares  I  '* 


30  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS, 

CHAPTER   IV. 

THE    NIGHT   OF   THE   CONSPIRACY. 

It  was  a  splendid  dinner,  that  which  the  regent  had  this 
day  prepared  for  his  guests.  Count  Miinnich  was  very 
much  devoted  to  the  pleasures  of  the  table,  and,  sitting  near 
the  regent,  he  gave  himself  wholly  up  to  the  cheerful  humor 
which  the  excellent  viands  and  delicate  wines  were  calcu- 
lated to  stimulate.  At  times  he  entirely  forgot  his  deep-laid 
plans  for  th«  coming  night,  and  then  again  he  would  sud- 
denly recollect  them  in  the  midst  of  his  gayest  conversation 
with  his  host,  and  while  volunteering  a  toast  in  praise  of 
the  noble  regent,  and  closing  it  by  crying — "  A  long  life 
and  reign  to  the  great  regent,  Biron  von  Courland ! "  he 
secretly  and  with  a  malicious  pleasure  thought:  "This  is 
thy  last  dinner,  sir  duke !  A  few  hours,  and  those  lips, 
now  smiling  with  happiness,  will  be  forever  silenced  by  our 
blows ! " 

These  thoughts  made  the  field-marshal  unusually  gay 
and  talkative,  and  the  regent  protested  that  Miinnich  had 
never  been  a  more  agreeable  convive  than  precisely  to-day. 
Therefore,  when  the  other  guests  retired,  he  begged  of 
Miinnich  to  remain  with  him  awhile ;  and  the  field-mar- 
shal, thinking  it  might  possibly  enable  him  to  prevent  any 
warning  reaching  the  regent,  consented  to  stay. 

They  spoke  of  past  times,  of  the  happy  days  when  the 
Empress  Anne  yet  reigned,  and  when  all  breathed  of  pleas- 
ure and  enjoyment  at  that  happy  court ;  and  perhaps  it  was 
these  recollections  that  rendered  Biron  sad  and  thought- 


THE  NIGHT  OP  THE  CONSPIRACY.  31 

fill.  He  was  absent  and  low-spirited,  and  his  large,  flash- 
ing eyes  often  rested  with  piercing  glances  upon  the  calm 
and  smiling  face  of  Miinnich. 

"  You  all  envy  me  on  account  of  my  power  and  domin- 
ion," said  he  to  Miinnich ;  "  of  that  I  am  not  ignorant. 
But  you  know  not  with  what  secret  pain  and  anguish  these 
few  hours  of  splendor  are  purchased  ! — the  sleepless  nights 
in  which  one  fears  seeing  the  doors  open  to  give  admission 
to  murderers,  and  then  the  dreams  in  which  blood  is  seen 
flowing,  and  nothing  is  heard  but  death-shrieks  and  lamen- 
tations !  Ah,  I  hate  the  nights,  which  are  inimical  to  all 
happiness.  In  the  night  will  misfortune  at  some  time  over- 
take me — in  the  night  the  evil  spirit  reigns ! " 

With  a  drooping  head  the  regent  had  spoken  half  to 
himself ;  but  suddenly  raising  his  head  and  looking  Miin- 
nich sharply  in  the  eye,  he  said :  "  Have  you,  Mr.  Field- 
Marshal,  during  your  campaigns,  never  in  the  night  fore- 
seen any  important  event?" 

Miinnich  shuddered  slightly,  and  the  color  forsook  his 
cheeks.  "  He  knows  all,  and  I  am  lost,"  thought  he,  and 
his  hand  involuntarily  sought  his  sword.  "I  will  defend 
myself  to  the  last  drop  of  my  blood,"  was  his  first  idea. 

But  Biron,  although  surprised,  saw  nothing  of  the  field- 
marshal's  strange  commotion — he  was  wholly  occupied  with 
his  own  thoughts,  and  only  awaited  an  answer  to  his  ques- 
tion. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Field  -  Marshal,"  he  repeated,  "  tell  me 
whether  in  the  night  you  have  ever  had  the  presentiment 
of  any  important  event  ?  " 

"  I  was  just  considering,"  he   calmly  said.     "  At  this 


32       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

moment  I  do  not  recollect  ever  having  foreseen  any  extraor- 
dinary event  by  night.  But  it  has  always  been  a  principle 
of  mine  to  take  advantage  of  every  favorable  opportunity, 
whether  by  day  or  night."  * 

Munnich  remained  with  the  regent  until  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  and  then  they  separated  with  the  greatest 
kindness  and  the  heartiest  assurances  of  mutual  friendship 
and  devotion. 

"  Ah,  that  was  a  hard  trial ! "  said  Miinnich,  breathing 
easier  and  deeper,  as  he  left  the  palace  of  the  duke  behind 
him.  "  I  was  already  convinced  that  all  was  lost,  but  this 
Biron  is  unsuspecting  as  a  child  !  Sleep  now,  Biron,  sleep ! 
— in  a  few  hours  I  shall  come  to  awaken  you,  and  realize 
your  bloody  dream ! " 

With  winged  steps  he  hastened  to  his  own  palace.  Ar- 
rived there,  he  summoned  his  adjutant,  Captain  von  Mann- 
stein,  and,  after  having  briefly  given  him  the  necessary 
orders,  took  him  with  him  into  his  carriage  for  the  purpose 
of  repairing  to  the  palace  of  the  Prince  of  Brunswick. 

It  was  a  cold  November  night  of  the  year  1740.  The 
deserted  streets  were  hushed  in  silence,  and  no  one  of  the 
occupants  of  the  dark  houses,  no  one  on  earth,  dreamed 
that  this  carriage,  whose  rumbling  vas  only  half  heard  in 
sleep,  was  in  a  manner  the  thundering  herald  of  new  times 
and  new  lords. 

Munnich  had  chosen  his  time  well.  For  if  it  was  for- 
bidden to  admit  any  one  whatevrer,  during  the  night,  to  the 
palace  occupied  by  the  young  czar,  and  if  also  the  regent  had 

*  Mannstein's  Memoirs,  p.  211 ;  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  240. 


ANNA.  LEOPOLDOWNA  PROCLAIMS  HERSELF  REGENT. 


THE  NIGHT  OF  THE  CONSPIRACY.  33 

given  the  guards  strict  orders  to  shoot  any  one  who  might 
attempt,  in  spite  of  these  commands,  to  penetrate  into  the 
forbidden  precincts,  this  day  made  an  exception  for  Miin- 
nich,  as  a  portion  of  one  of  his  own  regiments  was  to-day  on 
duty  at  the  imperial  palace. 

Unimpeded,  stayed  by  no  one,  Miinnich  penetrated  to 
the  apartments  of  Anna  Leopoldowna.  She  was  awaiting 
him,  and  at  his  side  she  descended  to  receive  the  homage 
of  the  officers  and  soldiers,  who  had  been  commanded  by 
Miinnich  to  submit  themselves  to  her. 

With  glowing  words  she  described  to  the  listening  sol- 
diers all  the  insults  and  injuries  to  which  the  regent  had 
subjected  herself,  her  husband,  and  their  son  the  emperor. 

"  Who  can  say  that  this  miserable,  low-born  Biron  is 
called  to  fill  so  exalted  a  place,  and  to  lord  it  over  you,  my 
beloved  friends  and  brothers  ?  To  me,  as  the  niece  of  the 
blessed  Empress  Anne,  to  me,  as  the  mother  of  Ivan,  chosen 
as  emperor  by  Anne,  to  me  alone  belongs  the  regency,  and 
by  Heaven  I  will  reconquer  that  of  which  I  have  been  ne- 
fariously robbed  !  I  will  punish  this  insolent  upstart  whose 
shameful  tyranny  we  have  endured  long  enough,  and  I  hope 
you,  my  friends,  will  stand  by  me  and  obey  the  commands 
of  your  generals."  * 

A  loud  viva  followed  this  speech  of  Anna  Leopoldowna, 
who  tenderly  embraced  the  enraptured  officers,  command- 
ing them  to  follow  her. 

Accompanied  by  Marshal  Miinnich  and  eighty  soldiers, 
Anna  then  went  out  into  the  streets.     In  silence  they  ad- 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  241. 


34       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

vancecl  to  within  a  hundred  steps  of  Biron's  palace.  Here, 
making  a  halt,  Mannstein  alone  approached  the  palace  to 
command  the  officers  of  the  guard  in  the  name  of  the  new 
regent,  Anna  Leopoldowna,  to  submit  and  pay  homage  to 
her.  No  opposition  was  made ;  accustomed  always  to  obey, 
they  had  not  the  courage  to  dispute  the  commands  of  the 
new  ruler,  and  declared  themselves  ready  to  assist  her  in 
the  arrest  of  the  regent. 

Mannstein  returned  to  Anna  and  Miinnich  with  this 
joyful  intelligence,  and  received  orders  to  penetrate  into 
the  palace  with  twenty  men,  to  capture  the  duke,  and  even 
kill  him  if  he  made  resistance. 

Without  opposition  Mannstein  again  returned  to  the 
palace  with  his  small  band,  carefully  avoiding  making  the 
least  noise  in  his  approach.  All  the  soldiers  in  the  palace 
knew  him;  and  as  the  watch  below  had  permitted  him  to 
pass,  they  supposed  he  must  have  an  important  message  for 
the  duke,  and  no  one  stopped  him. 

He  had  already  wandered  through  several  rooms,  when 
an  unforeseen  difficulty  presented  itself.  Where  is  the 
sleeping-room  of  the  duke  ?  Which  way  must  he  turn,  in 
order  to  find  him  ?  He  stood  there  undecided,  not  daring 
to  ask  any  of  the  attendants  in  the  anterooms,  lest  perhaps 
they  might  suspect  him  and  awaken  the  duke  !  He  finally 
resolved  to  go  forward  and  trust  to  accident.  He  passed 
two  or  three  chambers — all  were  empty,  all  was  still ! 

Now  he  stands  before  a  closed  door !  What  if  that 
should  prove  the  chamber  of  the  duke?  He  thinks  he 
hears  a  breathing. 

He  cautiously  tries  the  door.     Slightly  closed,  it  yields 


THE  NIGHT  OF  THE  CONSPIRACY.  35 

to  his  pressure,  and  he  enters.  There  stands  a  large  bed 
with  hanging  curtains,  which  are  boldly  drawn  aside  by 
Mannstein. 

Before  him  lies  the  regent,  Duke  Biron  of  Courland, 
with  his  wife  by  his  side. 

"  Duke  Biron,  awake  ! "  called  Mannstein,  with  a  loud 
voice.  The  ducal  pair  started  up  from  their  slumber  with 
a  shriek  of  terror. 

Biron  leaps  from  the  bed,  but  Mannstein  overpowers 
him  and  holds  him  fast  until  his  soldiers  come.  The  duke 
defends  himself  with  his  hands,  but  is  beaten  down  with 
musket-stocks.  They  bind  his  hands  with  an  officer's  scarf, 
they  wrap  him  in  a  soldier's  mantle,  and  so  convey  him 
down  to  Field-Marshal  Miinnich's  carriage  which  is  wait- 
ing, below,  to  transport  him  to  the  winter  palace. 

While  Mannstein  and  the  soldiers  were  occupied  with 
the  duke,  his  duchess  had  found  an  opportunity  to  make 
her  escape.  With  only  her  light  night-dress,  shrieking  and 
lamenting,  she  had  rushed  into  the  street. 

She  was  seized  by  a  soldier,  who,  conducting  her  to 
Mannstein,  asked  what  he  should  do  with  her. 

"  Take  her  back  into  the  palace ! "  said  Mannstein, 
hastening  past. 

But  the  soldier,  only  anxious  to  rid  himself  of  an  encum- 
brance, threw  the  now  insensible  duchess  into  the  snow, 
and  hurried  away. 

In  this  situation  she  was  found  by  a  captain  of  the  guard, 
who  lifted  her  up  and  conveyed  her  into  the  palace  to 
give  her  over  to  the  care  of  her  women,  that  she  might  be 
restored  to  consciousness  and  dressed.     But  she  no  longer 


36       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

had  either  women  or  servants!  Her  reign  is  over;  they 
have  all  fled  in  terror,  as  from  the  house  of  death,  that  they 
may  not  be  involved  in  the  disaster  of  those  whose  good 
fortunes  they  have  shared.  The  slaves  had  all  decamped  in 
search  of  new  masters,  and  the  regent's  palace,  so  often 
humbly  and  reverently  sought,  is  now  avoided  as  a  pest- 
house. 

With  trembling  hands  the  duchess  enveloped  herself  in 
her  clothes,  and  then  followed  her  husband  into  the  winter 
palace. 

And  while  all  this  was  taking  place  the  court  and  nation 
yet  trembled  at  the  names  of  these  two  persons  who  had 
just  been  so  deeply  humbled.  The  Princess  Anna  Leo- 
poldowna,  accompanied  by  the  shouting  soldiery,  made  a  tri- 
umphant progress  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  stopping 
at  all  the  caserns  to  receive  the  oaths  and  homage  of  the 
regiments. 

This  palace-revolution  was  consummated  without  the 
shedding  of  blood,  and  the  awaking  people  of  St.  Peters- 
burg found  themselves  with  astonishment  under  a  new  re- 
gency and  new  masters !  * 

But  a  population  of  slaves  venture  no  opposition.  Who- 
ever may  have  the  power  to  declare  and  maintain  himself 
their  ruler,  he  is  their  master,  and  the  slavish  horde  bow 
humbly  before  him. 

As,  hardly  four  weeks  previously,  the  great  magnates  of 
the  realm  had  hurried  to  the  Duke  of  Courland  to  pay 
their  homage  and  prostrate  themselves  in  the  dust  before 

•  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  241,  and  following. 


THE  NIGHT  OF  THE  CONSPIRACY.  37 

him,  so  did  they  now  hasten  to  the  palace  of  the  new  regent, 
humbly  to  pay  their  court  to  her.  The  same  lips  that  even 
yesterday  swore  eternal  fidelity  to  the  Regent  Biron,  and 
sounded  his  praise  to  the  skies,  now  condemned  him,  and 
as  loudly  commended  their  august  new  mistress,  Anna  L'eo- 
poldowna !  The  same  knees  which  had  yesterday  bent  to 
Biron,  now  bent  before  Anna ;  and,  with  tears  of  joy,  men 
now  again  sank  into  the  arms  of  each  other,  loudly  con- 
gratulating their  noble  Russia  upon  which  the  sun  of  hap- 
piness had  now  risen,  giving  her  Anna  Leopoldowna  as 
regent ! 

And  while  all  was  jubilation  in  the  palace  of  the  new 
regent,  that  of  the  great  man  of  yesterday  stood  silent  and 
deserted — no  one  dared  to  raise  a  voice  in  his  favor !  Those 
who  yesterday  revelled  at  his  table  and  sang  his  praises 
were  to-day  his  bitterest  enemies,  cursing  him  the  louder 
the  more  they  had  lauded  him  yesterday. 

Magnificent  festivals  were  celebrated  in  St.  Petersburg 
in  honor  of  the  new  regent,  while  they  were  at  the  same 
time  trying  the  old  one  and  condemning  him  to  death. 
But  Anna  Leopoldowna  mitigated  his  punishment — what  a 
mitigation  ! — by  changing  the  sentence  of  death  into  that  of 
perpetual  banishment  to  Siberia  ! 


38  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTEE  V. 

HOPES   DECEIVED. 

Tranquillity  was  again  established  in  Russia.  Once 
again  all  faces  were  lighted  up  with  joy  at  this  new  state  of 
affairs,  and  again  the  people  congratulated  themselves  on 
the  good  fortune  of  the  Russian  empire  !  All  this  was  done 
four  weeks  previously,  when  Biron  took  upon  himself  the 
regency,  and  the  same  will  be  done  again  when  another 
comes  to  overthrow  the  Regent  Anna  ! 

It  was  on  the  day  after  this  new  revolution,  when  Miin- 
nich,  entering  the  palace  with  a  proud  step  and  elevated 
head,  requested  an  interview  with  the  regent. 

"  Your  highness,"  he  said,  not  bending  the  knee  before 
his  sovereign  as  custom  demanded,  but  only  slightly  press- 
ing her  hand  to  his  lips — "  your  highness,  I  have  redeemed 
my  word  and  fulfilled  my  promise.  I  promised  to  liberate 
you  from  Biron  and  make  you  regent,  and  I  have  kept  my 
word.  Now,  madame,  it  is  for  you  to  fulfil  your  pledge ! 
You  solemnly  promised  that  when  I  should  succeed  in 
making  you  regent,  you  would  immediately  and  uncondi- 
tionally grant  me  whatever  I  might  demand.  Well,  now, 
you  are  regent,  and  I  come  to  proffer  my  request !  " 

"  It  will  make  me  happy,  field-marshal,  to  discharge  a 
small  part  of  my  obligations  toward  you,  by  yielding  to 
your  demand.  Ask  quickly,  that  I  may  the  sooner  give ! " 
said  Anna  Leopoldowna,  with  an  engaging  smile. 

"  Make  me  the  generalissimo  of  your  forces  !  "  responded 
Miinnich  in  an  almost  commanding  tone.  > 


HOPES  DECEIVED.  39 

A  cloud  gathered  over  the  smiling  features  of  the  re- 
gent. 

"  Why  must  you  ask  precisely  this — this  one  only  favor 
which  it  is  no  longer  in  my  power  to  bestow  ?  "  she  sadly 
said.  "  There  are  so  many  offices,  so  many  influential  posi- 
tions— ah,  I  could  prove  my  gratitude  to  you  in  so  many 
ways !  Ask  for  money,  treasures,  landed  estates — all  these 
it  is  in  my  power  to  give.  Why  must  you  demand  precisely 
that  which  is  no  longer  mine  ! " 

Miinnich  stared  at  her  with  widely  opened  eyes,  trem- 
bling lips,  and  pallid  cheeks.  His  head  swam,  and  he 
thought  he  could  not  have  rightly  heard. 

"  I  hope  this  is  only  a  misunderstanding ! "  he  stam- 
mered. "  I  must  have  heard  wrong ;  it  cannot  be  your  in- 
tention to  refuse  me." 

"Would  to  God  it  were  yet  in  my  power  to  gratify 
you  ! "  sighed  the  regent.  "  But  I  cannot  give  what  is  no 
longer  mine !  Why  came  you  not  a  few  hours  earlier,  field- 
marshal?  then  would  it  have  been  yet  possible  to  comply 
with  your  request.     But  now  it  is  too  late  ! " 

"  You  have,  then,  appointed  another  generalissimo  ?  " 
shrieked  Miinnich,  quivering  with  rage. 

"  Yes,"  said  Anna,  smiling ;  "  and  see,  there  comes  my 
generalissimo  ! " 

It  was  the  regent's  husband.  Prince  Ulrich  von  Bruns- 
wick, who  that  moment  entered  the  room  and  calmly  greet- 
ed Miinnich. 

"  You  have  here  a  rival,  my  husband,"  said  the  princess, 
without  embarrassment;  "and  had  I  not  already  signed 
your  diploma,  it  is  very  questionable  whether  I  should  now 


40       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

do  it,  now  that  I  know  Count  Miinnich  desires  the  appoint- 
ment." 

"  I  hope,"  proudly  responded  the  prince,  "  Count  Mun- 
nich  will  comprehend  that  this  position,  which  places  the 
whole  power  of  the  empire  in  the  hands  of  him  who  holds 
it,  is  suitable  only  for  the  father  of  the  emperor !  " 

Count  Miinnich  made  no  answer.  Already  so  near 
the  attainment  of  his  end,  he  saw  it  again  elude  his  grasp. 
Again  had  he  labored,  struggled,  in  vain.  This  was  the 
second  revolution  which  he  had  brought  about,  with  this  his 
favorite  plan  in  view :  two  regents  were  indebted  to  him  for 
their  greatness,  and  both  had  refused  him  the  one  thing  for 
which  he  had  made  them  regents ;  neither  had  been  willing 
to  create  him  generalissimo ! 

In  this  moment  Miinnich  felt  unable  to  conceal  his  rage 
under  an  assumed  tranquillity ;  pretending  a  sudden  attack 
of  illness,  he  begged  permission  to  retire. 

Tottering,  scarcely  in  possession  of  his  senses,  he  has- 
tened through  the  hall  thronged  with  petitioners.  All 
bowed  before  him,  all  reverently  saluted  him ;  but  to  him  it 
seemed  that  he  could  read  nothing  but  mockery  and  mali- 
cious joy  upon  all  those  smiling  faces.  Ah,  he  could  have 
crushed  them  all,  and  trodden  them  under  his  feet,  in  his 
inextinguishable  rage ! 

When  he  finally  reached  his  carriage,  and  his  proud 
steeds  were  bearing  him  swiftly  away — when  none  could 
any  longer  see  him — then  he  gave  vent  to  furious  execra- 
tions, and  tears  of  rage  flowed  from  his  eyes ;  he  tore  out 
his  hair  and  smote  his  breast ;  he  felt  himself  wandering, 
frantic  with  rage  and  despair.     One  thought,' one  wish  had 


HOPES  DECEIVED.  41 

occupied  him  for  many' long  years;  he  had  labored  and 
striven  for  it.  He  wished  to  be  the  first,  the  most  powerful 
man  in  the  Russian  empire ;  he  would  control  the  military 
force,  and  in  his  hands  should  rest  the  means  of  giving  the 
country  peace  or  war  !  That  was  what  he  wanted ;  that  was 
what  he  had  labored  for — and  now 

"  Oh,  Biron,  Biron,"  he  faintly  groaned,  "  why  must  I 
overthrow  you  ?  You  loved  me,  and  perhaps  would  one  day 
have  accorded  me  what  you  at  first  refused !  Biron,  I  have 
betrayed  you  with  a  kiss.  It  is  your  guardian  angel  who  is 
now  avenging  you  ! " 

Thus  he  reached  his  palace,  and  the  servants  who 
opened  the  door  of  his  carriage  started  back  with  alarm 
at  the  fearful  expression  of  their  master's  face.  It  had  be- 
come of  an  ashen  gray,  his  blue  lips  quivered,  and  his 
gloomily-gleaming  eyes  seemed  to  threaten  those  who  dared 
approach  him. 

Alighting  in  silence,  he  strode  on  through  the  rows  of 
his  trembling  servants.  Suddenly  two  of  his  lackeys  fell 
upon  their  knees  before  him,  weeping  and  sobbing;  they 
stretched  forth  their  hands  to  him,  begging  for  mercy. 

"  What  have  they  done  ?  "  asked  he  of  his  major-domo. 

"  Feodor  has  had  the  misfortune  to  break  your  excel- 
lency's drinking-cup,  and  Ivanovitch  bears  the  blame  of 
suffering  your  greyhound  Artemisia  to  escape." 

A  strange  joy  suddenly  lighted  up  the  brow  of  the 
count. 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  breathing  more  freely,  and  stretching 
himself  up — "  ah,  I  thank  God  that  I  now  have  some  one 
on  whom  I  can  wreak  my  vengeance  !  " 


42       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

And  kicking  the  unfortunate  weeping  and  writhing 
servants,  who  were  crawling  in  the  dust  before  him,  Miin- 
nich  cried : 

"  No  mercy,  you  hounds — no,  no  mercy !  You  shall  be 
scourged  until  you  have  breathed  out  your  miserable  lives ! 
The  knout  here !  Strike !  I  will  look  on  from  my  win- 
dows, and  see  that  my  commands  are  executed !  Ah,  I  will 
teach  you  to  break  my  cups  and  let  my  hounds  escape! 
Scourge  them  unto  death!  I  will  see  their  blood — their 
red,  smoking  blood  !  " 

The  field-marshal  stationed  himself  at  his  open  window. 
The  servants  had  formed  a  close  circle  around  the  unhappy 
beings  who  were  receiving  their  punishment  in  the  court 
below.  The  air  was  filled  with  the  shrieks  of  the  tortured 
men,  blood  flowed  in  streams  over  their  flayed  backs,  and  at 
every  new  stroke  of  the  knout  they  howled  and  shrieked  for 
mercy ;  while  at  every  new  shriek  Miinnich  cried  out  to  his 
executioners : 

"  No,  no  mercy,  no  pity !  Scourge  the  culprits !  I 
would,  I  must  see  blood !     Scourge  them  to  death !  " 

Trembling,  the  band  of  servants  looked  on  with  folded 
hands;  with  a  savage  smile  upon  his  face,  stood  Count' 
Miinnich  at  his  window  above. 

Weaker  and  weaker  grew  the  cries  of  the  unhappy  suf- 
ferers— they  no  longer  prayed  for  mercy.  The  knout  con- 
tinued to  flay  their  bodies,  but  their  blood  no  longer  flowed 
— they  were  dead  ! 

The  surrounding  servants  folded  their  hands  in  prayer 
for  the  souls  of  the  deceased,  and  then  loudly  commended 
the  mild  justice  of  their  master  ! 


HOPES  DECEIVED.  43 

Retiring  from  the  window,  Count  Miinnich  ordered  his 
breakfast  to  be  served !  * 

From  that  time  forward,  however,  Miinnich's  life  was  a 
continuous  chain  of  vexations  and  mortifications.  As  his 
inordinate  ambition  was  known,  he  was  constantly  sus- 
pected, and  was  reprehended  with  inexorable  severity  for 
every  fault. 

It  is  true  the  regent  raised  him  to  the  post  of  first  min- 
ister; but  Ostermann,  who  recovered  his  health  after  the 
successful  termination  of  the  revolutionary  enterprise,  by 
various  intrigues  attained  to  the  position  of  minister  of  for- 
eign affairs ;  while  to  Golopkin  was  given  the  department 
of  the  interior,  so  that  only  the  war  department  remained 
to  the  first  minister,  Miinnich.  He  had  originated  and  ac- 
complished two  revolutions  that  he  might  become  gener- 
alissimo, and  had  obtained  nothing  but  mortifications  and 
humiliations  that  embittered  every  moment  of  his  life  ! 

*  Such  horribly  cruel  punishments  of  the  serfs  were  at  that  time 
no  uncommon  occurrence  in  Russia.  Unhappy  serfs  were  daily 
scourged  to  death  at  the  command  of  their  masters.  Moreover,  princes 
and  generals,  and  even  respectable  ladies,  were  scourged  with  the  knout 
at  the  command  of  the  emperor.  Yet  these  punishments  in  Russia  had 
nothing  dishonoring  in  them.  The  Empress  Catharine  11.  had  three 
of  her  court  ladies  stripped  and  scourged  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 
court,  for  having  drawn  some  offensive  caricatures  of  the  great  em- 
press. One  of  these  scourged  ladies,  afterward  married  to  a  Russian 
magnate,  was  sent  by  Catharine  as  a  sort  of  ambassadress  to  Sweden, 
for  the  purpose  of  inducing  the  King  of  Sweden  to  favor  some  of  her 
political  plans. — "  Memoires  Secrets  sur  la  Russie,  par  Masson,"  vol.  iii., 
p.  392. 


44  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   REGENT  ANNA  LEOPOLDOWNA. 

Anna  had  succeeded,  she  was  regent ;  she  had  shaken 
off  the  burden  of  the  Bironic  tutelage,  and  her  word  was 
all-powerful  throughout  the  immeasurable  provinces  of  the 
Russian  empire.  Was  she  now  happy,  this  proud  and  pow- 
erful Anna  Leopoldowna?  No  one  had  ever  yet  been 
happy  and  free  from  care  upon  this  Russian  throne,  and 
how,  then,  could  Anna  Leopoldowna  be  so  ?  She  had  read 
the  books  of  Russian  political  history,  and  that  history  was 
written  with  blood !  Anna  was  a  woman,  and  she  trembled 
when  thinking  of  the  poison,  the  dagger,  the  throttling 
hands,  and  flaying  sword,  which  had  constantly  beset  the 
throne  of  Russia,  and  in  a  manner  been  the  means  in  the 
hands  of  Providence  of  clearing  it  from  one  tyrant,  only, 
indeed,  to  make  room  for  another.  Anna,  as  we  have  said, 
trembled  before  this  means  of  Providence ;  and  when  her 
eyes  fell  upon  Munnich — upon  his  dark,  angry  brow  and 
his  secretly  threatening  glance — she  then  with  inward  ter- 
ror asked  herself :  "  May  not  Providence  have  chosen  him 
for  my  murderer  ?  Will  he  not  overthrow  me,  as  he  over- 
threw his  former  master  and  friend  Duke  Biron  ?  " 

Anna  now  feared  him  whom  she  had  chiefly  to  thank 
for  her  greatness.  At  the  time  when  he  had  made  her  re- 
gent he  had  satisfactorily  shown  that  his  arm  was  suffi- 
ciently powerful  to  displace  one  regent  and  hurl  him  to  the 
dust !  What  he  had  once  done,  m'ight  he  not  now  be  able 
to  accomplish  again  ? 


THE  REGENT  ANNA  LEOPOLDOWNA.      45 

She  surrounded  this  feared  field-marshal  with  spies  and 
listeners ;  she  caused  all  his  actions  to  be  watched,  every 
one  of  his  words  to  be  repeated  to  her,  in  order  to  ascertain 
whether  it  had  not  some  concealed  sense,  some  threatening 
secret ;  she  doubled  the  guards  of  her  palace,  and,  always 
trembling  with  fear,  she  no  longer  dared  to  occupy  any  one 
of  her  apartments  continuously.  Nomadically  wandered 
they  about  in  their  own  palace,  this  Regent  Anna  Leopol- 
downa  and  her  husband  Prince  Ulrich  of  Brunswick ;  re- 
membering the  sleeping-chamber  of  Biron,  she  dared  not 
select  any  one  distinct  apartment  for  constant  occupation  ; 
every  evening  found  her  in  a  new  room,  every  night  she  re- 
posed in  a  different  bed,  and  even  her  most  trusted  servant 
often  knew  not  in  which  wing  of  the  castle  the  princely  pair 
were  to  pass  the  night.* 

She,  before  whom  these  millions  of  Russian  subjects 
humbled  themselves  in  the  dust,  trembled  every  night  in 
her  bed  at  the  slightest  rustling,  at  the  whisperings  of  the 
wind,  at  every  breath  of  air  that  beat  against  her  closed  and 
bolted  doors. 

She  might,  it  is  true,  have  released  herself  from  these 
torments  with  the  utterance  of  only  one  word  of  command  ; 
it  required  only  a  wave  of  her  hand  to  send  this  haughty 
and  dangerous  Miinnich  to  Siberia !  Nor  was  an  excuse 
for  such  a  proceeding  wanting.  Count  Miinnich's  pride 
and  presumption  daily  gave  occasion  for  anger ;  he  daily 
gave  offence  by  his  reckless  disregard  of  and  disrespect  for 
his  chief,  the  generalissimo,  Prince  Ulrich ;  daily  was  it 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  218. 


46       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

necessary  to  correct  liim  and  to  confine  him  within  his  own 
proper  official  boundaries. 

And  such  refractory  conduct  toward  a  Russian  master, 
had  it  not  in  all  times  been  a  terrible  and  execrable  crime — 
a  crime  for  which  banishment  to  Siberia  had  always  been 
considered  a  mild  punishment  ? 

Poor  Anna  !  called  to  rule  over  Russia,  she  lacked  only 
the  first  and  most  necessary  qualification  for  her  position — 
a  Russian  heart !  There  was,  in  this  German  woman's  dis- 
position, too  much  gentleness  and  mildness,  too  much  con- 
fiding goodness.  To  a  less  barbarous  people  she  might 
have  been  a  blessing,  a  merciful  ruler  and  gracious  bene- 
factor ! 

But  her  arm  was  too  weak  to  wield  the  knout  instead  of 
the  sceptre  over  this  people  of  slaves,  her  heart  too  soft  to 
judge  with  inexorable  severity  according  to  the  barbarous 
Russian  laws  which,  never  pardoning,  always  condemn  and 
flay. 

It  was  this  which  gradually  estranged  from  her  the 
hearts  of  the  Russians.  They  felt  that  it  was  no  Russian 
who  reigned  over  them  ;  and  because  they  had  no  occasion 
to  tremble  and  creep  in  the  dust  before  her,  they  almost  de- 
spised her,  and  derided  the  idyllic  sentiments  of  this  good 
German  princess  who  wished  to  realize  her  fantastic  dreams 
by  treating  a  horde  of  barbarians  as  a  civilized  people  ! 

The  slaves  longed  for  their  former  yoke ;  they  looked 
around  them  with  a  feeling  of  strangeness,  and  to  them  it 
seemed  unnatural  not  everywhere  to  see  the  brandished 
knout,  the  avenging  scaffold,  and  the  transport-carriages 
departing  for  Siberia ! 


THE  REGENT  ANNA  LEOPOLDOWNA.  47 

Much  as  Ostermaun  importuned  her,  often  as  her  own 
husband  warned  her,  Anna  nevertheless  refused  ;  she  would 
not  banish  Field-Marshal  Miinnich  to  Siberia,  but  remained 
firm  in  her  determination  to  leave  him  in  possession  of  his 
liberty  and  his  dignities. 

But  when  Miinnich  himself,  excited  and  fatigued  with 
these  never-ending  annoyances,  and  moreover  believing  that 
Anna  could  not  do  without  him,  and  therefore  would  not 
grant  his  request,  finally  demanded  his  dismission,  Anna 
granted  it  with  joy  ;  and  Miinnich,  deceived  in  all  his  am- 
bitious plans  and  expectations,  angrily  left  the  court  to  be- 
take himself  to  his  palace  beyond  the  Neva. 

Anna  now  breathed  easier ;  she  now  felt  herself  powerful 
and  free,  for  Miinnich  was  at  least  removed  farther  from 
her ;  his  residence  was  no  longer  separated  from  hers  only 
by  a  wall,  she  had  no  longer  to  fear  his  breaking  through 
in  the  night — ah,  Miinnich  dwelt  beyond  the  Neva,  and  a 
whole  regiment  guarded  its  banks  and  bridges  by  night ! 
Miinnich  could  no  longer  fall  upon  her  by  surprise,  as  she 
could  have  him  always  watched. 

Anna  no  longer  trembled  with  fear ;  she  could  yield  to 
her  natural  indolence,  and  if  she  sometimes,  from  fear  of 
Miinnich,  troubled  herself  about  state  affairs  and  labored 
with  her  ministers,  she  now  felt  it  to  be  an  oppressive  bur- 
den, to  which  she  could  no  longer  consent  to  subject  her- 
self. 

Satiated  and  exhausted,  she  in  some  measure  left  the 
wielding  of  the  sceptre  to  her  first  and  confidential  minis- 
ter. Count  Golopkin.  He  ruled  in  her  name,  as  Count 
Ostermann  was  generalissimo  in  the  name  of  her  husband 


48       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

the  Prince  of  Brunswick.  Why  trouble  themselves  with 
the  pains  and  cares  of  governing,  when  it  was  permitted 
them  to  only  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  their  all-powerful  posi- 
tion? 

The  minister  might  flourish  the  knout  and  proclaim 
the  Siberian  banishment  over  the  trembling  people ;  the 
scourged  might  howl,  and  the  banished  might  lament,  the 
great  and  powerful  might  dispose  of  the  souls  and  bodies  of 
their  serfs  ;  rare  honesty  might  be  oppressed  by  consuming 
usury ;  offices,  honors,  and  titles  might  be  gambled  for ; 
justice  and  punishment  might  be  bought  and  sold ;  vice 
and  immorality  might  universally  prevail — Anna  would  not 
know  it.  She  would  neither  see  nor  hear  any  thing  of  the 
outside  world  !  The  palace  is  her  world,  in  which  she  is 
happy,  in  which  she  revels ! 

Ah,  that  charming,  silent  little  boudoir,  with  its  soft 
Turkish  carpet,  with  its  elastic  divans  and  heavily  curtained 
windows  and  doors — that  little  boudoir  is  now  her  paradise, 
the  temple  of  her  happiness !  In  it  she  lingers,  and  in  it  is 
she  blessed.  There  she  reposes,  dreaming  of  past  delightful 
hours,  or  smiling  with  the  intoxication  of  the  still  more  de- 
lightful present  in  the  arms  of  the  one  she  loves. 


THE  FAVORITE.  49 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   FAVOKITE. 

See  how  her  eyes  flash,  how  her  heart  beats — how  beau- 
tiful she  is  in  the  warm  glow  of  excitement,  this  beautiful 
Anna  Leopoldowna ! 

The  door  opens,  and  a  smiling  young  maiden  looks  in 
with  many  a  nod  of  her  little  head. 

"  Ah,  is  it  you,  my  Julia  ?  "  calls  the  princess,  opening 
her  arms  to  press  the  young  girl  to  her  heart.  "  Come,  I 
will  kiss  you,  and  imagine  it  is  he  who  receives  the  kiss ! 
Ah,  what  would  this  poor  Anna  Leopoldowna  be  if  deprived 
of  her  dear  friend,  Julia  von  Mengden  ? "  And  drawing 
her  favorite  down  into  her  lap,  she  continued  :  "  Now  re- 
late to  me,  Julia.  Set  your  tongue  in  motion,  that  I  may 
hear  one  of  your  very  pleasantest  stories.  That  will  divert 
me,  and  cause  the  long  hours  before  his  coming  to  pass 
more  quickly." 

Julia  von  Mengden  roguishly  shook  her  beautifully  curl- 
ing locks  with  a  comic  earnestness,  and,  very  aptly  and  un- 
mistakably imitating  the  somewhat  hoarse  and  nasal  voice 
of  Prince  Ulrich,  said  : 

"  Your  grace  forgets  that  you  are  regent,  and  have  to 
hold  the  reins  of  government  in  the  name  of  the  illustrious 
imperial  squaller,  your  son,  since  his  imperial  grace  still  re- 
mains in  his  swaddling-clothes,  and  has  much  less  to  do 
with  state  affairs  than  with  many  other  little  occupa- 
tions ! " 

Anna  Leppoldowna,  breaking  out  in  joyous  laughter, 


50       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

exultingly  clapped  her  little  hands,  which  were  sjiarkling 
with  brilliants. 

"  This  is  superb,"  said  she.  "  You  play  the  part  of  my 
very  worthy  husband  to  perfection.  It  is  as  if  one  saw  and 
heard  him.  Ah,  I  would  that  he  resembled  you  a  little,  as 
he  would  then  be  less  insupportable,  and  it  would  be  some- 
what easier  to  endure  him." 

Julia  von  Mengden,  making  no  answer  to  this  remark, 
continued  with  her  nasal  voice  and  comic  pathos : 

"  Your  grace,  this  is  not  the  time  to  analyze  our  divert- 
ing little  domestic  dissensions,  and  occupy  ourselves  with 
the  quiet  joys  of  our  happy  union !  Your  grace  is,  above 
all  things,  regent,  and  must  give  your  attention  to  state 
affairs.  Without  are  standing  three  most  worthy,  cor- 
pulent, tobacco-scented  ambassadors,  who  desire  an  audi- 
ence. Your  grace  is,  above  all  things,  regent,  and  must 
receive  them." 

"  Must ! "  exclaimed  Anna,  suddenly  contracting  her 
brows.     "  We  will  first  hear  what  they  desire  of  us." 

"  The  first  is  the  envoy  of  the  great  Persian  conqueror, 
Thamas-Kouli-Khan,  who  comes  to  lay  at  your  feet  the 
magnificent  presents  of  his  master." 

"  Bah !  they  are  presents  for  the  young  Emperor  Ivan. 
He  may,  therefore,  be  conducted  to  the  cradle  of  my  son, 
and  there  display  his  presents.     It  does  not  interest  me." 

"  The  second  is  a  messenger  from  our  camp.  He  brings 
news  of  a  great  victory  obtained  by  one  of  your  brave  gen- 
erals over  the  Swedes ! " 

"  But  what  does  that  concern  me  ? "  angrily  cried  the 
regent.    "Let  them  conquer  or  be  defeated, it  is  all  the 


THE  FAVORITE.  51 

same  to  me.  That  concerns  my  husband  the  generalissimo  ! 
Let  me  be  spared  the  sight  of  the  warlike  and  blood-drip- 
ping messenger ! " 

"  The  third  is  the  ambassador  of  the  wavering  and  shak- 
ing young  Austrian  Empress  Maria  Theresa.  He  comes,  he 
says,  upon  a  secret  mission,  and  pretends  to  have  discovered 
a  sort  of  conspiracy  that  is  hatching  against  you." 

"  Let  him  go  with  his  discovery  to  Golopkin,  our  minister 
of  the  interior.     That  is  his  business !  " 

"  Your  grace  is,  above  all  things,  regent,  and  should  re- 
member— " 

"  Nothing — I  will  remember  nothing !  "  exclaimed  Anna 
Leopoldowna,  interrupting  her  favorite.  "  I  will  not  be 
annoyed,  that  is  all." 

"  Well,  thank  God  ! "  now  cried  Julia  von  Mengden,  in 
her  natural  tone — "  thank  God,  that  such  is  your  determina- 
tion, princess !  you  are,  then,  in  earnest,  and  1  am  to  send 
these  three  amiable  persons  to  the  devil,  or,  what  is  just  the 
same,  to  your  husband?" 

"  That  is  my  meaning." 

"  And  this  is  beautiful  in  you,"  continued  Julia,  cower- 
ing down  before  her  mistress.  "  These  eternal,  tiresome  and 
intolerable  state  affairs  would  make  your  face  prematurely 
old  and  wrinkled,  my  dear  princess.  Ah,  there  is  nothing 
more  tedious  than  governing.  I  am  heartily  sick  of  it !  At 
first  I  was  amused  when  we  two  sat  together  and  settled 
who  should  be  sent  to  prison  and  who  should  be  pardoned ; 
whom  we  should  make  counts  and  princes,  or  degrade  to  the 
ranks  as  common  soldiers.  But  all  that  pleased  only  for  a 
short  time ;  now  it  is  annoying,  and  why  should  we  take 


52       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

upon  ourselves  this  trouble  ?  Have  we  not  the  power  to  act 
and  live  according  to  our  own  good  pleasure  ?  Bah !  that  is 
the  least  compensation  you  should  receive  for  allowing  these 
horrid  Eussians  the  privilege  of  calling  you  their  regent  and 
mistress ! " 

"  But,  my  little  chatterer,  you  forget  the  three  envoys 
who  are  waiting  without,"  said  Anna,  with  a  smile. 

"  Ah,  that  is  true  !  I  must  first  send  those  wig-blocks 
away ! "  cried  Julia,  springing  up  and  fluttering  out  of  the 
room  as  lightly  as  a  bird. 

"  How  lovely  she  is,  and  how  agreeable  it  is  to  have  her 
with  me  ! "  said  Anna,  tenderly  looking  after  her  departing 
favorite.  "  She  is,  indeed,  my  good  genius,  who  drives  away 
the  cares  from  my  poor  brain." 

"  So,  it  is  done  ! "  cried  Julia,  quickly  returning  to  the 
room.  "  I  have  sent  the  gentlemen  away.  To  the  Persian 
envoy  I  said :  '  Go  to  our  emperor,  Ivan.  He  feeds  upon 
brilliants,  and,  as  he  has  had  no  breakfast  this  morning,  his 
appetite  will  be  good.  Go,  therefore,  and  give  him  your 
diamonds  for  breakfast.  Anna  Leopoldowna  wants  them 
not ;  she  is  already  satiated  with  them ! ' — To  the  second  I 
said : '  Go  and  announce  your  glorious  victory  to  our  sublime 
generalissimo.  He  is  at  his  toilet,  and  as  he  every  morning 
touches  his  noble  cheeks  with  rouge,  your  new  paint,  pre- 
pared from  the  purple  blood  of  the  enemy,  will  doubtless  be 
very  welcome  to  him ! ' — '  And  as  to  what  concerns  your 
secret  mission  and  your  discovered  conspiracy,'  said  I  to  the 
Austrian  ambassador,  '  I  am  sorry  that  you  cannot  here  give 
birth  to  the  dear  children  of  your  inventive  head ;  go  with 
them  to  our  midwife.  Minister  Golopkin,  and  hasten  a  little, 


THE  FAVORITE.  53 

for  I  see  in  your  face  that  you  are  already*  in  the  pangs  of 
parturition ! ' " 

"  Well,"  asked  Anna  Leopoldowna,  loudly  laughing, 
"  what  said  their  worships  to  that  ?  " 

"  What  did  they  say  ?  They  said  nothing !  They  were 
dumb  and  looked  astonished.  They  made  exactly  such  eyes 
as  I  have  seen  made  at  home,  upon  my  father's  estate  in 
Liefland,  by  the  calves  when  the  butcher  knocked  them 
upon  the  head.  But  now,"  continued  Julia,  nestling  again 
at  the  feet  of  her  mistress,  "  now  give  me  a  token  of  your 
favor,  and  forget  for  a  while  that  you  are  regent.  Let  us 
chat  a  little  like  a  couple  of  real  genuine  women — that  is,  of 
our  husbands  and  lovers.  Oh,  I  have  very  important  news 
for  you ! " 

"  Well,  speak  quickly,"  said  Anna,  with  eagerness.  "What 
have  you  to  tell  me  ?  " 

Julia  assumed  a  very  serious  and  important  countenance. 
"  The  first  and  most  important  piece  of  news  is,  that  your 
husband.  Prince  Ulrich  of  Brunswick,  is  very  jealous  of  me, 
and  yet  of  one  other  !  " 

"  Bah  !  "  said  Anna,  contemptuously,  "  let  him  be  jeal- 
ous. I  do  not  trouble  myself  about  it,  and  shall  always  do 
as  I  please." 

"  No,  no,  that  will  not  do,"  seriously  responded  Julia. 
"  It  is  so  tiresome  to  always  hear  the  wrangling  and  growl- 
ing of  a  jealous  husband !  I  tell  your  grace  that  I  must 
have  quiet  in  his  presence ;  I  can  no  longer  bear  his  grim 
looks  and  his  constant  anger  and  abuse.  You  must  soothe 
him,  Princess  Anna,  or  I  will  run  away  from  this  horrible 
court,  where  a  poor  maiden  is  not  allowed  to  love  her  friend 


54       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

and  mistress,  the  charming  Princess  Anna  Leopoldowna, 
with  all  her  heart  and  soul !  " 

The  regent's  eyes  filled  with  tears.  "  My  Julia,"  she 
tremulously  said,  "  can  you  seriously  think  of  leaving  me  ? 
See  you  not  that  I  should  be  thereby  rendered  very  solitary 
and  miserable  ?  " 

And,  raising  up  her  favorite  into  her  arms,  she  kissed 
her. 

Julia's  bright  eyes  also  filled  with  tears.  "  Think  you, 
then,  princess,  that  I  could  ever  leave,  ever  be  separated 
from  you  ?  "  she  tenderly  asked.  "  No,  my  Princess  Anna 
has  such  entire  possession  of  my  heart,  that  it  has  no  room 
for  any  other  feeling  than  the  most  unbounded  love  and 
devotion  to  my  dear,  my  adored  princess.  But  for  the  very 
reason  that  I  love  you,  I  cannot  bear  to  have  your  husband 
fill  the  palace  with  his  jealous  complaints,  and  thus  publish- 
ing to  St.  Petersburg  and  all  the  world  your  unfaithfulness 
and  criminal  intrigues.  Oh,  I  tell  you  I  see  through  this 
generalissimo,  I  know  all  his  plans  and  secret  designs.  He 
would  gladly  be  able  to  convict  you  of  infidelity  to  him — 
then,  with  the  help  of  the  army  he  commands,  declare  his 
criminal  wife  unfit  for  the  regency,  and  then  make  himself 
regent !  He  has  a  cunningly  devised  plan,  but  which  my 
superior  cunning  shall  bring  to  naught !  I  will  play  him  a 
trick  ! — But  no,  I  will  tell  you  no  more  now  !  At  the  right 
time  you  shall  know  all.  Now,  Princess  Anna,  now  answer 
me  one  question.  Do  you,  then,  so  very  much  love  this 
Count  Lynar  ?  " 

The  princess  looked  up  with  a  dreamy  smile.,  "Do  I 
love  him !  "  she  then  murmured  low.    "  Oli,  my  God,  Thou 


THE  FAVORITE.  55 

knowest  how  truly,  how  glowingly  my  heart  clings  to  him. 
Thou  knowest  that  of  all  the  world  I  have  never  loved  any 
other  man  than  him  alone  !  And  you,  Julia,  you  who  know 
every  emotion  and  palpitation  of  my  heart,  you  yet  ask  me 
if  I  love  him  ?  Do  you  remember,  child,  when,  four  years 
ago,  I  first  saw  him — when  he  stood  before  me  in  all  his 
proud  manly  beauty,  with  his  conquering  glance,  his  heart- 
winning  smile?  Ah,  my  whole  heart  already  then  flew  to 
meet  him.  I  revelled  in  the  sight  of  him,  1  thought  only 
of  him,  I  spoke  to  him  in  my  thoughts,  and  my  prayers,  I 
lived  only  when  I  saw  him ;  and  that  happy,  that  never-to- 
be-forgotten  day  when  he  confessed  his  love,  when  he  lay  at 
my  feet  and  swore  eternal  truth  to  me — ah,  why  could  I  not 
have  died  on  that  day  ?    I  was  then  so  happy  !  " 

"  Poor  Princess  Anna,"  said  Julia,  sympathetically,  "they 
soon  grudged  you  that  happiness  ! " 

"  Yes,"  continued  Anna  with  a  bitter  smile,  "  yes,  the 
virtuous  Empress  Anna  blushed  in  the  arms  of  her  lover, 
Biron,  at  this  aberration  of  her  sold  and  coupled  niece.  She 
found  it  very  revolting  that  the  poor  sixteen-year-old  Anna 
Leopoldowna  dared  to  have  a  heart  of  her  own  and  to  feel  a 
real  love.  They  must  therefore  rob  her  of  the  only  happi- 
ness Heaven  had  vouchsafed  her.  Consequently,  they  wrote 
to  Warsaw,  asking,  nay,  commanding  the  recall  of  the  am- 
bassador, and  Lynar  was  compelled  to  leave  me." 

"  Ah,  I  well  know  how  unhappy  you  were  at  that  time," 
said  Julia,  pressing  the  hand  of  the  princess  to  her  bosom ; 
"  how  you  wept,  how  you  wrung  your  hands — " 

"  And  how  I  nowhere  found  mercy  or  commiseration," 
interposed  Anna,  with  bitterness,  "  neither  on  earth  nor  in 


56       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

heaven.  I  was  and  remained  deserted  and  solitary,  and  was 
compelled  to  marry  this  Prince  Ulrich  of  Brunswick,  for 
whom  I  felt  nothing  but  a  chilling,  mortal  indifference.  But 
you  must  know,  Julia,  that  when  I  stood  with  this  man  at 
the  altar,  and  was  compelled  to  become  his  wife,  I  thought 
only  of  him  I  loved ;  I  vowed  eternal  truth  only  to  Lynar, 
and  when  the  prince  folded  me  in  his  arms  as  his  wife,  then 
was  my  God  gracious  to  me,  and  in  a  happy  deception  it 
seemed  to  me  that  it  was  my  lover  who  held  me  in  his  arms 
— I  thought  only  of  him  and  breathed  only  his  name,  and 
loved  him,  kissed  him,  and  became  his  wife,  although  he 
was  far,  alas,  so  immeasurably  far  from  me !  And  when  I 
felt  a  second  self  under  my  heart,  I  then  loved  with  re- 
doubled warmth  the  distant  one  whom  I  had  not  seen  for 
years ;  and  when  Ivan  was  born,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the 
eyes  of  my  lover  looked  at  me  through  his,  and  blessed  my 
son  whose  spiritual  father  he  was !  And,  my  child,  what 
think  you  gave  me  the  courage  to  overthrow  Biron  and 
assume  the  regency  ?  Ah,  it  was  only  that  I  might  have 
the  power  to  recall  Lynar  to  my  side !  I  would  and  must 
be  regent,  that  I  might  demand  the  return  of  Lynar  as  am- 
bassador from  Warsaw.  That  gave  me  courage  and  decision ; 
that  enabled  me  to  overcome  all  timidity  and  anxiety.  I 
thought  only  of  him,  and  when  the  end  was  attained,  when 
I  was  declared  regent,  the  first  exercise  of  my  power  was  to 
recall  Lynar  to  court.  Julia,  what  a  happy  day  was  that 
when  I  saw  him  again ! " 

And  the  princess,  wholly  absorbed  in  her  delightful 
reminiscences,  smilingly  and  silently  reclined  upon  the 
cushions  of  the  divan. 


THE  FAVORITE.  57 

"  All,  it  must  be  love  that  so  thinks  and  feels,"  thought- 
fully observed  Julia.  "  I  no  longer  ask  you,  Princess  Anna, 
if  you  love  the  count,  I  now  know  you  do.  But  answer  me 
yet  one  question.  Have  you  confidence  in  me — full,  unlim- 
ited confidence?    Will  you    never  mistake,   never  doubt 


me 


9" 


"  Never  !  "  said  Anna  Leopoldowna,  confidently.  "  And 
if  all  the  world  should  tell  me  that  Julia  von  Mengden  is  a 
traitress,  I  would  nevertheless  firmly  rely  upon  you,  and 
reply  to  the  whole  world  :  '  That  is  false !  Julia  von  Meng- 
den is  true  and  pure  as  gold.     I  shall  always  love  her.' " 

Julia  gratefully  glanced  up  to  the  heavens,  and  her  eyes 
filled  with  tears. 

"I  thank  you,  princess,"  she  then  said,  with  a  happy 
smile.  "  I  now  have  courage  for  all.  You  shall  now  be 
enabled  to  love  your  Lynar  without  fear  or  trembling,  and 
your  husband's  clouded  brow  and  reproaching  tongue  shall 
molest  us  no  more.  Confide  in  me  and  ask  no  questions. 
It  is  all  decided  and  arranged  in  my  mind.  But  hark !  do 
you  hear  nothing  ?  " 

Anna's  face  was  transfused  with  a  purple  glow,  and  her 
eyes  flashed. 

"  It  is  my  beloved,"  said  she.  "  Yes,  it  is  he.  I  know 
his  step ! " 

Julia  smilingly  opened  the  concealed  door,  and  Count 
Lynar,  with  a  cry  of  joy,  rushed  to  the  feet  of  his  beloved. 

"  At  length  ! "  he  exclaimed,  clasping  her  feet,  and  press- 
ing them  to  his  bosom. 

"  Yes,  at  length  ! "  murmured  Anna,  looking  down  upon 

him  with  a  celestial  smile. 
6. 


58       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Julia  stood  at  a  distance,  contemplating  them  with 
thoughtful  glances. 

"  They  should  be  happy,"  she  murmured  low,  and  then 
asked  aloud :  "  Count  Lynar,  did  you  receive  my  letter  ?  " 

"  I  did  receive  it,"  said  the  count,  "  and  may  God  re- 
ward you  for  the  sacrifice  you  are  so  generously  disposed  to 
make  for  us !  Anna,  your  friend  Julia  is  our  good  angel. 
To  her  we  shall  owe  it  if  our  happiness  is  henceforth  in- 
destructible and  indissoluble.  Do  you  know  the  immense 
sacrifice  this  young  maiden  proposes  to  make  for  us  ?  " 

"No,  Princess  Anna  knows  nothing,  and  shall  know 
nothing  of  it,"  said  Julia,  with  a  grand  air.  "  Princess 
Anna  shall  only  know  that  I  love  her,  and  am  ready  to  give 
my  life  for  her.  And  now,"  she  continued,  with  her  natu- 
ral gayety,  "  forget  me,  ye  happy  lovers !  Lull  yourselves 
in  the  sweet  enjoyment  of  nameless  ecstasies !  I  go  to 
watch  the  spies,  and  especially  your  husband,  lest  he  break 
in  upon  you  without  notice  !  " 

And  Julia  suddenly  left  the  room,  shutting  the  door 
upon  Anna  Leopoldowna  and  her  lover,  the  Polish  Count 
Lynar. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

NO    LOVE, 


Prince  Ulrich  of  Brunswick,  the  husband  of  the  re- 
gent, had  assembled  the  officers  of  his  general  staff  for  a 
secret  conference.  Their  dark,  threatening  glances  were 
prophetic  of  mischief,  and  angrily  flashed  the  eyes  of  the 


NO  LOVE.  59 

prince,  who,  standing  in  their  midst,  had  spoken  to  them  in 
glowing  words  of  his  domestic  unhappiness,  and  of  the  idle, 
dreamy,  and  amatory  indolence  into  which  the  regent  had 
fallen. 

"  She  writes  amorous  complainings,"  he  now  said,  with 
a  voice  of  rage,  in  closing  his  long  speech — "  she  writes  son- 
nets to  her  lover,  instead  of  governing  and  reading  the 
petitions,  reports,  and  other  documents  that  come  to  her 
from  the  different  ministries  and  bureaus,  which  she  con- 
stantly returns  unread.  You  are  men,  and  are  you  willing 
to  bear  the  humiliation  of  being  governed  by  a  woman  who 
dishonors  you  by  disregarding  her  first  and  holiest  duties, 
and  setting  before  your  wives  and  daughters  the  shameful 
example  of  a  criminal  love,  thus  disgracing  her  own  son, 
your  emperor  and  master  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  we  will  not  bear  it ! "  cried  the  wildly  excited 
men,  grasping  the  hilts  of  their  swords.  "  Give  us  proof  of 
her  unfaithfulness,  and  we  shall  know  how  to  act  as  becomes 
men  over  whom  an  adulterous  woman  would  reign !  " 

"  It  is  an  unnatural  and  unendurable  law  that  com- 
mands man  to  obey  a  woman.  It  is  contrary  to  nature  that 
the  mother  should  rule  in  the  name  of  her  son,  when  the 
father  is  living — the  father,  whom  nature  and  universal 
custom  acknowledge  as  the  lord  and  head  of  his  wife  and 
children  !  "  cried  the  prince. 

"  Give  us  proof  of  her  guilt,"  cried  the  soldiers,  "  and 
we  will  this  very  hour  proclaim  you  regent  in  her  stead  !  " 

A  confidential  servant  of  the  prince,  who  entered  at  this 
moment,  now  whispered  a  few  words  in  his  ear. 

The  prince's  face  flamed  up.     "  Well,  then,  gentlemen," 


60       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

said  he,  straightening  himself  up,  "  you  demand  proof.  In 
this  very  hour  will  I  furnish  it  to  you.  But  I  do  it  upon 
one  condition.  No  personal  violence !  In  the  person  of 
your  present  regent  you  must  respect  the  mother  of  your 
emperor,  the  wife  of  your  future  regent !  Anna  will  yield 
to  our  just  representations,  and  voluntarily  sign  the  act  of 
abdication  in  my  favor.  That  is  all  we  ought  to  demand  of 
her.  She  will  retain  her  sacred  and  inviolable  rights  as  the 
wife  of  your  regent,  as  the  mother  of  your  emperor.  Forget 
not  that ! " 

"  First  of  all,  give  us  the  proof  of  her  guilt ! "  impa- 
tiently cried  the  men. 

"  I  shall,  alas,  be  able  to  give  it  you ! "  said  the  prince, 
with  dignity.  "  Far  be  it  from  me  to  desire  the  conviction 
of  an  innocent  person  !  Believe  me,  nothing  but  her  guilt 
could  induce  me  to  take  action  against  her ;  were  she  inno- 
cent, I  would  be  the  first  to  kneel  and  renew  to  her  my  oath 
of  fidelity  and  obedience.  But  you  cannot  desire  that  I, 
your  generalissimo,  should  be  the  subject  of  a  wife  who 
shamefully  treads  under  foot  her  first  and  holiest  duty! 
The  honor  of  you  all  is  wounded  in  mine.  Come,  follow  me 
now.  I  will  show  you  Count  Lynar  in  the  arms  of  his  mis- 
tress, the  Regent  Anna  Leopoldowna ! " 

The  prince  strode  forth,  cautiously  followed  by  his  gen- 
erals. They  thus  passed  noiselessly  through  the  long  cor- 
ridor leading  from  the  wing  of  the  palace  inhabited  by  the 
prince  to  that  occupied  by  the  regent. 

In  the  boudoir  of  the  Regent  Anna  a  somewhat  singular 
scene  was  now  presented. 

The  tender  caresses  of  the  lovers  were  suddenly  inter- 


NO  LOVE.  61 

rupted  by  Julia  von  Mengden,  who  slipped  in  through  the 
secret  door  in  a  white  satin  robe,  and  with  a  myrtle  crown 
upon  her  head. 

"  Princess  Anna,  it  is  time  for  you  to  know  all !  "  she 
hurriedly  said.  "  Your  husband  is  now  coming  here 
through  the  corridor  with  his  generals;  they  hope  to  sur- 
prise you  in  your  lover's  arms,  that  they  may  have  an  excuse 
for  deposing  you  from  the  regency  and  substituting  your 
husband.  Struggle  against  struggle !  We  will  outwit  them, 
and  cure  your  husband  of  his  jealousy !  From  this  hour  he 
shall  be  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  he  was  mistaken,  and 
that  it  is  for  him  to  implore  your  pardon.  Anna  Leopol- 
downa,  I  love  no  one  in  the  world  but  you,  and  therefore  I 
am  ready  to  do  all  that  love  can  do  for  you.  I  will  marry 
Count  Lynar  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  you  from  sus- 
picion and  slander.  I  will  bear  the  name  of  his  wife,  as  a 
screen  for  the  concealment  of  your  loves."  * 

Anna's  eyes  overflowed  with  tears  of  emotion  and  trans- 
port. 

"  Weep  not,  my  love,"  whispered  the  count,  "  be  strong 
and  great  in  this  eventful  hour !  Now  will  you  be  forever 
mine,  for  this  magnanimous  friend  veils  and  protects  our 
union." 

Julia  opened  the  door  and  waved  her  hand. 

A  Eussian  pope  in  sacred  vestments,  followed  by  two 
other  servants  of  the  church,  entered  the  room.  With  them 
came  the  most  trusted  maid-servants  of  Julia. 

Clasping  the  count's  hand  and  advancing  to  Anna,  Julia 

*  Levecque,  "  Histoire  de  la  Russie,"  vol.  v.,  p.  222. 


62  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

said  :  "  Grant,  illustrious  princess,  that  we  may  celebrate 
our  solemn  espousal  in  thy  high  presence,  which  is  the  best 
blessing  of  our  union  !  " 

Anna  opened  wide  her  arms  to  her  favorite,  and,  press- 
ing her  to  her  bosom,  whispered  :  "  I  will  never  forget  thee, 
my  Julia.     My  blessing  upon  thee,  my  angel !  " 

"  I  will  be  a  true  sister  to  him,"  whispered  Julia  in  re- 
turn ;  "  always  believe  in  me  and  trust  me.  And  now,  my 
Anna,  calmness  and  self-possession !  I  already  hear  your 
husband's  approach.  Be  strong  and  great.  Let  no  feature 
of  your  dear  face  betray  your  inward  commotion  ! " 

And,  stepping  back  to  the  count,  Julia  made  a  sign  to 
the  priest  to  commence  the  marriage  ceremony. 

Hand  in  hand  the  bridal  pair  knelt  before  the  priest, 
the  servants  folded  their  hands  in  prayer,  and,  proudly 
erect,  with  a  heavenly  transfiguration  of  her  noble  face, 
stood  Anna  Leopoldowna — the  priest  commenced  the  cere- 
mony. 

A  slight  noise  was  heard  at  the  closed,  concealed  door. 
The  priest  calmly  continued  to  speak,  the  bridal  pair  re- 
mained in  their  kneeling  position,  and,  calmly  smiling,  stood 
the  regent  by  their  side. 

The  door  opened,  and,  followed  by  his  generals,  the  en- 
raged prince  appeared  upon  the  threshold. 

Xo  one  suffered  himself  to  be  disturbed  ;  the  priest  con- 
tinued the  service,  the  parties  remained  ui)on  their  knees, 
Anna  Leopoldowna  stood  looking  on  with  a  proud  and  tran- 
quil smile. 

Motionless,  benumbed,  as  if  struck  by  lightning,  re- 
mained the  prince  ujion  the  threshold ;  behind  him  were 


NO  LOVE.  63 

seen  the  astonished  faces  of  his  generals,  who,  on  tiptoe, 
stretched  their  necks  to  gaze,  over  each  other's  shoulders, 
upon  this  singular  and  unexpected  spectacle ! 

At  length  a  murmur  arose,  they  pressed  farther  forward 
toward  the  door,  and,  overcoming  his  momentary  stupe- 
faction, the  prince  ventured  into  the  room. 

An  angry  glance  of  the  priest  commanded  silence ;  with 
a  louder  voice  he  continued  his  prayer.  Anna  Leopoldowna 
smilingly  beckoned  her  husband  to  her  side,  and  slightly 
nodded  to  the  generals. 

They  bowed  to  the  ground  before  their  august  mistress, 
the  regent. 

Now  came  the  closing  prayer  and  the  dispensation  of  the 
blessing.  The  priest  pronounced  it  kneeling, — the  regent 
also  bent  the  knee,  and  drew  the  prince  down  beside  her. 
Following  the  example  of  the  generalissimo,  the  other  gen- 
erals also  sank  upon  their  knees, — it  was  a  general  prayer, 
which  no  one  dared  disturb. 

The  ceremony  was  ended.  The  priest  kissed  and  blessed 
the  bridal  pair,  and  then  departed  with  his  assistants ;  he 
was  followed  by  the  servants  of  the  favorite. 

Anna  now  turned  with  a  proud  smile  to  the  prince. 

"  Accident,  my  husband,  has  made  you  a  witness  of  this 
marriage,"  said  she.  "  May  I  ask  your  highness  what  pro- 
cures me  this  unexpected  and  somewhat  intrusive  visit,  and 
why  my  generals,  unannounced,  accompany  you  to  their 
regent  and  mistress  ?  " 

The  embarrassed  prince  stammered  some  unintelligible 
words,  to  which  Anna  paid  no  attention. 

Stepping  forward,  she  motioned  the  generals  to  enter, 


64       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

and  with  her  most  fascinating  smile  said :  "  Ah,  I  think  I 
now  know  the  reason  of  your  coming,  gentlemen !  Your 
loyal  and  faithful  hearts  yearn  for  a  sight  of  your  young 
emperor.  It  is  true,  his  faithful  subjects  have  not  seen  him 
for  a  long  time !  Even  a  sovereign  is  not  guaranteed 
against  the  evil  influences  of  the  weather,  which  has  lately 
been  very  rough,  and  for  that  reason  the  young  czar  has 
been  unable  to  show  himself  to  his  people.  Ah,  it  pleases 
me  that  you  have  come,  and  I  am  obliged  to  my  husband 
for  bringing  you  to  me  so  unexpectedly.  You  may  now 
satisfy  yourselves  that  the  emperor  lives  and  is  growing  fast. 
Julia,  bring  us  the  young  emperor  ! " 

Julia  von  Mengden  silently  departed,  while  Count  Lynar, 
respectfully  approaching  the  regent,  said  a  few  words  to  her 
in  a  low  tone. 

"  You  are  quite  right,  sir  count,"  said  the  regent  aloud, 
and,  turning  to  her  husband  and  the  generals,  continued : 
"  Count  Lynar  is  in  some  trouble  about  the  unexpected 
publicity  given  to  his  marriage.  There  are,  however,  im- 
portant reasons  for  keeping  it  still  a  secret.  The  family  of 
my  maid  of  honor  are  opposed  to  this  alliance  with  a  for- 
eigner, and  insist  that  Julia  shall  marry  another  whom  they 
have  destined  for  her.  On  the  other  hand,  certain  family 
considerations  render  secrecy  the  duty  of  the  count.  Julia, 
oppressed  by  her  inexorable  relations,  disclosed  the  state  of 
affairs  to  me,  and  as  I  love  Julia,  and  as  I  saw  that  she  was 
wasting  away  with  grief  without  the  possession  of  her  lover, 
I  favored  her  connection  with  Count  Lynar.  They  daily 
saw  each  other  in  my  apartments,  and,  finally  yielding  to 
their  united  prayers,  I  consented  that  they  should  this  day 


NO  LOVE.  65 

be  legally  united  by  the  priest,  and  thus  defeat  the  opposi- 
tion of  their  respective  families. 

"  This,  gentlemen,"  continued  Anna,  raising  her  voice, 
"  is  the  simple  explanation  of  this  mystery.  I  owe  this  ex- 
planation to  myself,  well  knowing  that  secret  slander  and 
malicious  insinuations  might  seek  to  implicate  me  in  this 
affair,  and  that  a  certain  inimical  and  evil-disposed  party, 
displeased  that  you  should  have  a  woman  for  regent,  would 
be  glad  to  prove  to  you  that  all  women  are  weak,  faulty, 
and  sinful  creatures!  Be  careful  how  you  credit  such 
miserable  tales ! " 

Silent,  with  downcast  eyes,  stood  the  generals  under  the 
flashing  glance  of  the  regent,  who  now  turned  to  her  hus- 
band with  a  mocking  smile.  "  You,  my  prince  and  hus- 
band," said  she,  "  you  I  have  to  thank  ! — your  tenderness  of 
heart  induced  you  generously  to  furnish  me  with  this  oppor- 
tunity to  justify  my  conduct  to  my  most  distinguished  and 
best-beloved  subjects  and  servants,  and  thus  to  break  the 
point  of  the  weapon  with  which  calumny  threatened  my 
breast !  I  therefore  thank  you,  my  husband.  But  see ! 
there  comes  the  emperor." 

In  fact,  the  folding-doors  were  at  this  moment  thrown 
open,  and  a  long  train  of  palace  officials  and  servants  ap- 
proached. At  the  head  of  the  train  was  Julia  von  Meng- 
den,  bearing  a  velvet  cushion  bespangled  with  brilliants, 
upon  which  reposed  the  child  in  a  dress  of  gold  brocade. 
On  both  sides  were  seen  the  richly  adorned  nurses  and  at- 
tendants, and  near  them  the  major-domo,  bearing  upon  a 
golden  cushion  the  imperial  crown  and  other  insignia  of 
empire. 


66       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Anna  Leopold owna  took  young  Ivan  in  her  arms ;  the 
child  smiled  in  her  face,  and  stretched  forth  his  hand  to- 
ward the  sparkling  crown. 

With  her  son  upon  her  arm,  Anna  majestically  advanced 
to  the  centre  of  the  hall,  and,  lifting  up  the  child,  said : 
"  Behold  your  emperor  !  Eespect  and  reverence  for  your 
illustrious  master!  Upon  your  knees  in  the  presence  of 
your  emperor ! " 

It  was  as  if  all,  servants,  attendants,  and  generals,  had 
been  struck  with  a  magic  wand.  They  all  fell  upon  their 
knees,  and  bowed  their  heads  to  the  earth — venal  slaves, 
one  word  from  the  ruler  sufficed  to  set  them  all  grovelling 
in  the  dust ! 

With  a  proud  smile  Anna  enjoyed  this  triumph.  Near 
her  stood  the  prince,  the  father  of  the  emperor,  with  rage 
and  shame  in  his  heart. 

"  Long  live  the  emperor ! "  resounded  from  all  lips,  and 
the  child  Ivan,  Emperor  of  all  the  Russias,  screeched  for 
joy  at  the  noise  and  at  the  splendor  of  the  assemblage. 

"  Long  live  our  noble  regent,  Anna  Leopoldowna ! "  now 
loudly  cried  Julia  von  Mengden. 

Like  a  thundering  cry  of  jubilation  it  was  instantly 
echoed  through  the  hall. 

The  generals  were  the  first  to  join  in  this  enthusiastic 
viva  ! 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  the  generals  were  permitted 
to  retire,  and  the  emperor  was  reconveyed  to  his  apartments. 

Anna  Leopoldowna  remained  alone  with  her  husband 
and  the  newly-married  pair,  who  had  retreated  to  the  recess 
of  a  window  and  were  whispering  together. 


NO  LOVE.  67 

Anna  now  turned  to  her  husband,  and,  with  cutting 
coldness  in  her  tone,  said : 

"  You  must  understand,  my  husband,  that  I  am  very 
generous.  It  was  in  my  power  to  arrest  you  as  a  traitor, 
but  I  preferred  only  to  shame  you,  because  you,  unhappily, 
are  the  father  of  my  child." 

"  You  think,  then,"  asked  the  prince,  with  a  scornful 
smile,  "  that  I  shall  take  the  buffoonery  you  have  just  had 
played  before  us  for  truth  ?  " 

"  That,  my  prince,  must  wholly  depend  upon  your  own 
good  pleasure.  But  for  the  present  I  must  request  you  to 
retire  to  your  own  apartments !  I  feel  myself  much  moved 
and  exhausted,  and  have  also  to  prepare  some  secret  dis- 
patches for  Count  Lynar  to  take  with  him  in  his  journey." 

"  Count  Lynar  is,  then,  to  leave  us  ?  "  quickly  asked  the 
prince,  in  an  evidently  more  friendly  tone. 

"  Yes,"  said  Anna,  "  he  leaves  us  for  some  weeks  to  visit 
the  estate  in  Liefland  which  I  have  given  to  Julia  as  a 
bridal  present,  and  to  make  there  the  necessary  preparations 
for  the  proper  reception  of  his  wife." 

Julia  clasped  the  hands  of  her  mistress,  and  bathed  them 
with  tears  of  joy  and  gratitude. 

"  Anna,"  whispered  Prince  Ulrich,  "  I  did  you  wrong. 
Pardon  me." 

Anna  coldly  responded  :  "  I  will  pardon  you  if  you  will 
be  generous  enough  to  allow  me  a  little  repose." 

The  prince  silently  and  respectfully  withdrew. 

Anna  finally,  left  alone  with  her  lover  and  her  favorite, 
sank  exhausted  upon  a  divan. 

"  Close  the  doors,  Julia,  that  no  one  may  surprise  us," 


68       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

she  faintly  murmured.  "  I  will  take  leave.  Oh,  I  would 
be  left  for  at  least  a  quarter  of  an  hour  undisturbed  in  my 
unhappiness." 

"  Then  it  is  true  that  you  intend  to  drive  me  away  ? " 
asked  Count  Lynar,  kneeling  and  clasping  her  hands. 
"  You  are  determined  to  send  me  into  banishment  ?  " 

Anna  gave  him  a  glance  of  tenderness. 

"  No,"  said  she,  "  I  will  send  myself  into  banishment, 
for  I  shall  not  see  you,  dearest.  But  I  felt  that  this  sacri- 
fice was  necessary.  Julia  has  sacrificed  herself  for  us. 
With  another  love  in  her  heart,  she  has  magnanimously 
thrown  away  her  freedom  and  given  up  her  maiden  love  for 
the  promotion  of  our  happiness.  We  owe  it  to  her  to  pre- 
serve her  honor  untarnished,  that  the  calumnious  crowd 
may  not  pry  into  the  motives  of  her  generous  act.  For  Ju- 
lia's sake,  the  world  must  and  shall  believe  that  she  is  in 
fact  your  wife,  and  that  it  was  love  that  united  you.  We 
must,  therefore,  preserve  appearances,  and  you  must  con- 
duct your  wife  to  your  estate  in  triumph.  Decency  requires 
it,  and  we  cannot  disregard  its  requirements." 

"  Princess  Anna  is  in  the  right,"  said  Julia ;  "  you  must 
absent  yourself  for  a  few  weeks — not  for  my  sake,  who  lit- 
tle desire  any  such  triumph,  but  that  the  world  may  believe 
the  tale,  and  no  longer  suspect  my  princess." 

It  was  a  sweetly  painful  hour — a  farewell  so  tearful,  and 
yet  so  full  of  deeply-felt-  happiness.  On  that  very  night 
was  the  count  to  commence  his  journey  to  Liefland  and 
Warsaw.  As  they  wished  to  make  no  secret  of  the  mar- 
riage, the  count  needed  the  consent  of  his  court  and  his 
family. 


NO  LOVE.  69 

Anna  provided  him  with  letters  and  passports.  The  best 
and  fairest  of  the  estates  of  the  crown  in  Liefland  was  as- 
signed to  Julia  as  a  bridal  present,  and  the  count  was  fur- 
nished with  the  proper  documents  to  enable  him  to  take 
possession  of  it.* 

And  finally  came  the  parting  moment!  For  the  last 
time  they  lay  in  each  other's  arms;  they  mutually  swore 
eternal  love,  unconquerable  fidelity — all  that  a  loving 
couple  could  swear ! 

Tearing  himself  from  her  embrace,  he  rushed  to  the 
door. 

Anna  stretches  out  her  arms  toward  him,  her  brow  is 
pallid,  her  eyes  fixed.  The  door  opens,  he  turns  for  one 
last  look,  and  nods  a  farewell.  Ah,  with  her  last  glance 
she  would  forever  enchain  that  noble  and  beautiful  face — 
with  her  extended  arms  she  would  forever  retain  that  ma- 
jestic form. 

"  Farewell,  Anna,  farewell ! " 

The  door  closes  behind  him — he  is  gone ! 

A  cold  shudder  convulsed  Anna's  form,  a  bodeful  fear 
took  possession  of  her  mind.  It  lay  upon  her  heart  like  a 
dark  mourning-veil. 

"  I  shall  never,  never  see  him  again ! "  she  shrieked, 
sinking  unconscious  into  Julia's  arms. 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  222. 


70  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PRINCESS   ELIZABETH. 

While  a  Mecklenburg  princess  had  attained  to  the  re- 
gency of  Russia,  and  while  her  son  was  hailed  as  emperor, 
the  Princess  Elizabeth  lived  alone  and  unnoticed  in  her 
small  and  modestly-furnished  palace.  German  princes  sat 
upon  the  Russian  throne,  and  yet  in  St.  Petersburg  was  liv- 
ing the  only  rightful  heir  to  the  empire,  the  daughter  of 
Czar  Peter  the  Great !  And  as  she  was  young,  beautiful, 
and  amiable,  how  came  she  to  be  set  aside  to  make  room 
for  a  stranger  upon  the  throne  of  her  father,  which  belonged 
to  her  alone  ? 

Princess  Elizabeth  had  voluntarily  kept  aloof  from  all 
political  intrigues  and  all  revolutions.  In  the  interior  of 
her  palace  she  passed  happy  days;  her  world,  her  life,  and 
her  pleasures  were  there.  Princess  Elizabeth  desired  not 
to  reign ;  her  only  wish  was  to  love  and  be  loved.  The  in- 
toxicating splendor  of  worldly  greatness  was  not  so  inviting 
to  her  as  the  more  intoxicating  pleasure  of  blessed  and 
happy  love.  She  would,  above  all  things,  be  a  woman,  and 
enjoy  the  full  possession  of  her  youth  and  happiness. 

What  cared  she  that  her  own  rightful  throne  was  occu- 
pied by  a  stranger — what  cared  she  for  the  blinding  shim- 
mer of  a  crown  ?  Ah,  it  troubled  her  not  that  she  was  poor, 
and  possessed  not  even  the  means  of  bestowing  presents 
upon  her  favorites  and  friends.  But  she  felt  happy  in  her 
poverty,  for  she  was  free  to  love  whom  she  would,  to  raise 
to  herself  whomsoever  she  might  please. 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH.  Yl 

It  was  a  festival  day  that  they  were  celebrating  in  the 
humble  palace  of  the  emperor's  daughter  Elizabeth — cer- 
tainly a  festival  day,  for  it  was  the  name-day  of  the  prin- 
cess. 

The  rooms  were  adorned  with  festoons  and  garlands,  and 
all  her  dependants  and  friends  were  gathered  around  her. 
Elizabeth  saw  not  the  limited  number  of  this  band;  she 
enjoyed  herself  with  those  who  were  there,  and  lamented 
not  the  much  greater  number  of  those  who  had  forgotten 
her. 

She  was  among  her  friends,  in  her  little  reception-room. 
Evening  had  come,  the  household  and  the  less  trusted  and 
favored  of  her  adherents  had  withdrawn,  and  only  the  most 
intimate,  most  favored  friends  now  remained  with  the 
princess. 

They  had  conversed  so  long  that  they  now  recurred  to 
the  enjoyment  of  that  always-ready,  always-pleasing  art, 
music.  A  young  man  sang  to  the  accompaniment  of  a 
guitar. 

Elizabeth  listened,  listlessly  reclining  upon  her  divan. 
Behind  her  stood  two  gentlemen,  who,  like  her,  were  de- 
lightedly listening  to  the  singing  of  the  youth. 

Elizabeth  was  a  blooming,  beautiful  woman.  She  was 
to-day  charming  to  the  eye  in  the  crimson- velvet  robe,  em- 
broidered with  silver,  that  enveloped  her  full,  voluptuous 
form,  leaving  her  neck  and  gorge  free,  and  displaying  the 
delicate  whiteness  of  her  skin  in  beautiful  contrast  with  the 
purple  of  her  robe.  Perhaps  a  severe  judge  might  not  have 
pronounced  her  face  handsome  according  to  the  rules  of  the 
antique,  but  it  was  one  of  those  faces  that  please  and  be- 


72       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

witch  the  other  sex ;  one  of  those  beauties  whose  charm 
consists  not  so  much  in  the  regularity  of  the  lines  as  in  the 
BYer-varying  expression.  There  was  so  much  that  was  win- 
ning, enticing,  supercilious,  much-promising,  and  warm- 
glowing,  in  the  face  of  this  woman!  The  full,  swelling, 
deep-red  lips,  how  charming  were  they  when  she  smiled; 
those  dark,  sparkling  eyes,  how  seducing  were  they  when 
shaded  by  a  soft  veil  of  emotional  enthusiasm ;  those  faintly- 
blushing  cheeks,  that  heaving  bosom,  that  voluptuous  form, 
yet  resplendent  with  youthful  gayety — for  Elizabeth  had 
not  yet  reached  her  thirtieth  year — whom  would  she  not 
have  animated,  excited,  transported  ? 

Elizabeth  knew  she  was  beautiful  and  attractive,  and 
this  was  her  pride  and  her  joy.  She  could  easily  pardon 
the  German  princess,  Anna  Leopoldowna,  for  occupying  the 
throne  that  was  rightfully  her  own,  but  she  would  never 
have  forgiven  the  regent  had  she  been  handsomer  than  her- 
self. Anna  Leopoldowna  was  the  most  powerful  woman  in 
Russia,  but  she,  Elizabeth,  was  the  handsomest  woman  in 
Russia,  which  was  all  she  coveted,  and  she  had  nothing 
more  to  desire. 

But  at  this  moment  she  thought  neither  of  Anna  Leo- 
poldowna nor  of  her  own  beauty,  but  only  of  the  singer  who 
was  warbling  to  her  those  Russian  popular  songs  so  full  of 
love  and  sadness  that  they  bring  tears  into  the  eyes  and  fill 
the  heart  with  yearning. 

Elizabeth  had  forgotten  all  around  her — she  heard  only 
him,  saw  only  him ;  her  whole  soul  lay  in  the  glances  with 
which  she  observed  him,  and  around  her  mouth  played  one 
of  those  bewitching  smiles  peculiar  to  her  in  moments  of 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH.  73 

joy  and  satisfaction,  and  which  her  courtiers  knew  and  ob- 
served. 

He  was  very  handsome,  this  young  singer,  and  as  Eliza- 
beth saw  him  in  this  moment,  she  congratulated  herself 
that  her  connoisseur-glance  had  quickly  remarked  him, 
when,  some  weeks  previously,  she  had  first  seen  him  as  the 
precentor  of  the  imperial  chapel. 

Surprised  and  excited  by  the  beauty  of  his  form  and  the 
sweetness  of  his  voice,  Elizabeth  had  begged  him  of  the 
lord-marshal  for  her  private  service,  and  since  then  Alexis 
Razumovsky  had  entered  her  house  as  her  private  secretary 
and  the  manager  of  her  small  estate.* 

While  Alexis  was  singing  with  his  sweetly-melting  tones, 
Elizabeth  turned  her  swimming  eyes  to  the  two  men  who 
were  standing  in  respectful  silence  behind  her. 

"  You  must  acknowledge,"  said  she  in  a  low  tone,  and  as 
if  oppressed  by  internal  commotion,  "  that  you  never  saw 
nor  heard  any  thing  finer  than  my  Alexis." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  one  of  these  men,  with  a  low  bow,  "  we 
have  seen  you  !  " 

"And  did  we  not  yesterday  hear  you  sing  this  same 
charming  slumber-song,  princess?"  asked  the  other. 

Elizabeth  smiled.  "  It  is  already  well  known  that  Wo- 
ronzow  and  Griinstein  must  always  flatter ! "  said  she. 

"  No,  we  do  not  flatter,"  responded  Woronzow,  the  cham- 
berlain of  the  princess,  "  we  only  love  truth !  You  ask  if 
we  have  ever  seen  any  thing  more  beautiful  than  your  pri- 
vate secretary,  and  we  answer  that  we  have  seen  you  !  " 

*  Masson,  '♦  Memoires  Secretes,"  vol.  ii 
6 


74       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Well,  now,  you  have  all  so  often  assured  me  that  I  am 
the  handsomest  woman  in  Russia,  that  at  length  I  am  com- 
pelled to  believe  you.  But  Alexis  is  fortunately  a  man,  and 
therefore  not  my  rival ;  you  may,  then,  fearlessly  confess 
that  Alexis  is  the  handsomest  of  all  men !  But  how  is 
this?"  exclaimed  the  princess,  interrupting  herself,  as  the 
handsome  young  singer  suddenly  sprang  up  and  threw  his 
guitar  aside  with  an  indignant  movement ;  "  do  you  sing  no 
more,  Alexis  ?  " 

"  No,"  f rowardly  responded  the  young  man,  "  I  sing  no 
more,  when  my  princess  no  longer  listens ! " 

"  There,  see  the  ungrateful  man,"  said  the  princess,  with 
a  charming  smile — "  he  was  occupying  all  my  thoughts,  and 
yet  he  dares  complain !  You  are  a  malefactor  deserving 
punishment.  Come  here  to  me,  Alexis;  kneel,  kiss  my 
hand,  and  beg  for  pardon,  you  calumniator ! " 

"  That  is  a  punishment  for  which  angels  might  be 
grateful ! "  responded  Alexis  Razumovsky,  kneeling  to  the 
princess  and  pressing  her  hand  to  his  burning  lips.  "  Ah, 
that  I  might  of  tener  incur  such  punishment !  " 

"Do  you  then  prefer  punishment  to  reward?"  asked 
Elizabeth,  tenderly  bending  down  to  him  and  looking  deep 
into  his  eyes. 

"  She  loves  him  ! "  whispered  Griinstein  to  the  chamber- 
lain Woronzow.     "  She  certainly  loves  him  !  " 

Elizabeth's  fine  ear  caught  these  words,  and,  slowly 
turning  her  head,  she  slightly  nodded.  "  Yes,"  said  she, 
"  Griinstein  is  right — she  loves  him !  Congratulate  me, 
therefore,  my  friends,  that  the  desert  void  in  my  heart  is  at 
length  filled — congratulate  me  for  loving  him.     Ah,  noth- 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH.  75 

ing  is  sweeter,  holier,  or  more  precious  than  love ;  and  I 
can  tell  you  that  we  women  are  happy  only  when  we  are 
under  the  influence  of  that  divine  passion.  Congratulate 
me,  then,  my  friends,  for,  thank  God,  I  am  in  love !  Now, 
Alexis,  what  have  you  to  say  ?  " 

"  There  are  no  words  to  express  such  a  happiness,"  cried 
Alexis,  jDressing  the  feet  of  the  princess  to  his  bosom. 

"  Happiness,  then,  strikes  you  dumb,"  laughed  the  prin- 
cess, "  and  will  not  allow  you  to  say  that  you  love  me  ? 
Such  are  all  you  men.  You  envelope  yourselves  with  a 
convenient  silence,  and  would  make  us  poor  women  believe 
the  superabundance  of  feeling  deprives  you  of  utterance." 

At  this  moment  the  door  was  softly  opened,  and  a 
lackey,  who  made  his  appearance  at  the  threshold,  beck- 
oned to  Woronzow. 

"  What  is  it,  Woronzow  ? "  asked  the  princess,  while, 
wholly  unembarrassed  by  the  presence  of  the  lackey,  she 
played  with  the  profuse  dark  locks  of  the  kneeling  Ra- 
zumovsky. 

"  An  invitation  from  the  Regent  Anna  to  a  court-ball, 
which  is  to  take  place  fourteen  days  hence,"  said  Woron- 
zow. 

"  Ah,  our  good  cousin  is,  then,  so  gracious  as  to  remem- 
ber us,"  cried  the  princess,  with  a  somewhat  clouded  brow. 
"  It  will  certainly  be  a  very  magnificent  festival,  as  we  are 
invited  so  many  days  in  advance.  How  sad  that  I  cannot 
have  the  pleasure  of  being  present ! " 

"  And  why  not,  if  one  may  be  allowed  to  ask,  princess  ?  " 
asked  Woronzow. 

"  Why  ?  "  sighed  Elizabeth.    "  Ask  my  waiting- woman  ; 


76       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

she  will  tell  you  that  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
the  great  Czar  Peter,  has  not  one  single  robe  splendid 
enough  to  render  her  presentable,  without  mortification,  at 
a  court-ball  of  the  regent." 

"  Whatever  robe  you  may  wear,"  passionately  interposed 
Alexis,  "  you  will  still  be  resplendent,  for  your  beauty  will 
impart  a  divine  halo  to  any  dress  ! " 

That  was  precisely  the  kind  of  flattery  pleasing  to  Eliz- 
abeth. 

"Think  yo\i  so,  flatterer?"  asked  Elizabeth.  "Well, 
for  once  I  will  believe  your  words,  and  assume  that  the 
Princess  Elizabeth  may  be  fair  without  the  aid  of  splendor 
in  dress.  We  therefore  accept  the  invitation,  Woronzow. 
Announce  that  to  the  regent's  messenger.  But  still  it  is 
sad  and  humiliating,"  continued  Elizabeth  after  a  pause,  a 
cloud  passing  over  her  usually  so  cheerful  countenance, 
"  yes,  it  is  still  a  melancholy  circumstance  for  the  daughter 
of  the  great  Peter  to  be  so  poor  that  she  is  not  able  to 
dress  herself  suitably  to  her  rank.  Ah,  how  humiliating 
is  the  elevation  of  my  high  position,  when  I  cannot  even 
properly  reward  you,  my  friends,  for  your  fidelity  and 
attachment ! " 

"  You  will  one  day  be  able  to  reward  us,"  significantly 
remarked  Griinstein.  "  One  day,  when  an  imperial  crown 
surmounts  your  fair  brows,  then  will  your  generous  heart 
be  able  to  act  according  to  its  noble  instincts." 

"  Still  the  same  old  dreams ! "  said  Elizabeth,  shaking 
her  head  and  letting  Razumovsky's  long  locks  glide  through 
her  fingers.  "  Pay  no  attention  to  him,  Alexis,  he  is  an 
enthusiast  who  dreams  of  imperial  crowns,  while  I  desire 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH.  77 

nothing  but  a  ball-dress,  that  in  it  I  may  please  you,  my 
friend  ! " 

"  Oh,  you  always  please  me,"  whispered  Alexis,  "  and 
most  pleasing  are  you  when — " 

The  conclusion  of  his  flattering  speech  he  whispered  so 
low  that  it  was  heard  by  no  one  but  the  princess. 

Patting  his  cheek  with  her  little  round  hand,  she 
blushed,  but  not  for  shame,  as  she  did  not  cast  down 
her  eyes,  but  answered  with  a  glowing  glance  the  tender 
looks  of  her  lover.  She  blushed  only  from  an  internal 
passionate  excitement,  while  her  bosom  stormily  rose  and 
fell. 

"  You  are  very  saucy,  Alexis,"  said  she,  but  at  the  same 
time  lightly  kissing  him  upon  the  forehead,  and  smiling; 
but  then  her  brow  was  suddenly  clouded,  for  the  door  was 
again  opened  and  once  more  the  lackey  appeared  upon  the 
tlireshold. 

"  The  French  ambassador,"  said  he,  "  the  Marquis  de  la 
Chetardie,  begs  the  favor  of  an  audience." 

"Ah,  the  good  marquis!"  cried  the  princess,  rising 
from  her  reclining  position.  "  Conduct  him  in,  he  is  ve.y 
welcome." 

The  lackey  opened  both  wings  of  the  folding-door,  and 
the  marquis  entered,  followed  by  several  servants  with 
boxes  and  packets. 

"  Ah,  you  come  very  much  like  a  milliner,"  laughingly 
exclaimed  Elizabeth,  graciously  advancing  to  receive  the 
ambassador. 

Dropping  upon  one  knee,  the  marquis  kissed  her  of- 
fered hand. 


Y8       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  I  come,  illustrious  Princess  Elizabeth,  to  beg  a  favor 
of  you  ! "  he  said. 

"  You  wish  to  mortify  me,"  responded  Elizabeth. 
"  How  can  the  ambassador  of  a  great  and  powerful  nation 
have  a  favor  to  ask  of  the  poor,  repudiated,  and  forgotten 
Princess  Elizabeth  ?  " 

"  In  the  name  of  the  king  my  master  come  I  to  demand 
this  favor ! "  solemnly  answered  the  marquis. 

"  Well,  if  you  really  speak  in  earnest,"  said  the  princess, 
"then  I  have  only  to  respond  that  it  will  make  me  very 
happy  to  comply  with  any  request  which  your  august  king 
or  yourself  may  have  to  make  of  me." 

"  Then  I  may  be  allowed,  on  this  occasion  of  the  cele- 
bration of  your  name-day,  to  lay  at  your  feet  these  tri- 
fling presents  of  my  royal  master,"  said  the  ambassador  of 
France,  rising  to  take  the  boxes  and  packages  from  the 
lackeys  and  place  them  before  Elizabeth. 

"  They  are  only  trifles,"  continued  he,  while  assiduously 
occupied  in  opening  the  boxes,  "  trifles  of  little  value — only 
interesting,  perhaps,  because  they  are  novelties  that  have  as 
yet  been  worn  in  Paris  by  no  lady  except  the  queen  and 
madame ! 

"This  mantelet  of  Valenciennes  lace,"  continued  the 
busy  marquis,  unfolding  before  the  princess  a  magically 
fine  lace  texture,  "  this  mantelet  is  sent  by  the  Queen  of 
France  to  the  illustrious  Princess  Elizabeth,  Only  two 
such  mantelets  have  been  made,  and  her  majesty  has 
strictly  commanded  that  no  more  of  a  similar  pattern  shall 
be  commenced." 

Princess  Elizabeth's  eyes  sparkled  with  delight.     Like  a 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH.  ^9 

curious  cliild  she  fluttered  from  one  box  to  the  other,  and 
in  fact  they  were  very  costly,  tasteful,  and  charming  things 
which  their  majesties  of  France  had  sent  to  the  Princess 
Elizabeth,  who  prized  nothing  higher  than  splendor  in 
dress  and  ornaments. 

There  were  the  most  beautiful  gold-embroidered  velvet 
robes,  light  crape  and  lace  dresses,  and  hats  and  topknots 
of  charming  elegance. 

Elizabeth  examined  and  admired  all;  she  clapped  her 
hands  with  delight  when  any  one  of  these  precious  presents 
especially  pleased  her,  calling  Alexis,  Griinstein,  and  Wo- 
ronzow  to  share  her  joy  and  admiration. 

"  Now  will  it  be  a  triumph  for  me  to  appear  at  this 
ball ! "  said  Elizabeth,  exultingly ;  "  ah,  how  beautiful  it  is 
of  your  king  that  he  has  sent  me  these  magnificent  presents 
to-day,  and  not  eight  days  later !  I  shall  excite  the  envy  of 
the  regent  and  all  the  court  ladies  with  these  charming 
things,  which  no  one  besides  myself  will  possess." 

And  the  princess  was  constantly  renewing  her  examina- 
tion of  the  presents,  and  breaking  out  into  ecstasies  over 
their  beauty. 

The  Marquis  de  la  Chetardie  smilingly  listened  to  her, 
told  her  much  about  Paris  and  its  splendors,  declaring  that 
even  in  Paris  there  was  no  lady  who  could  be  compared  to 
the  fair  Princess  Elizabeth. 

"  Ah,"  remarked  Elizabeth,  smilingly  threatening  him 
with  her  finger,  "  you  would  speak  differently  if  the  queen 
or  some  other  lady  of  your  court  were  standing  by  my 
side ! " 

"  No,"  seriously  replied  the  marquis,  "  I  would  fall  at  the 


80       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

feet  of  my  queen  and  say :  '  You  are  my  queen,  judge  me, 
condemn  me,  my  life  is  in  your  hand.  You  are  the  Queen 
of  France,  and  as  such  I  bend  before  you ;  but  Princess 
Elizabeth  is  the  queen  of  beauty,  and  as  such  I  adore  her ! ' " 

Princess  Elizabeth  smiled,  and  with  harmless  uncon- 
straint  chatted  yet  a  long  time  with  the  shrewd  and  versa- 
tile ambassador  of  the  French  king. 

"  I  have  yet  one  more  request  to  make,"  said  the  mar- 
quis, when  about  to  take  leave.  "  But  it  is  a  request  that 
no  one  but  yourself  must  hear,  princess  !  " 

Elizabeth  signed  to  her  friends  to  withdraw  into  the 
open  anteroom. 

"  Well,  marquis,"  she  then  said  with  some  curiosity,  "  let 
me  now  hear  what  else  you  have  to  ask." 

"  My  king  and  master  has  learned  with  regret  that  the 
noble  Princess  Elizabeth  is  not  surrounded  with  that  wealth 
and  splendor  which  is  her  due  as  the  daughter  of  the  great 
emperor  and  the  rightful  heir  to  the  Russian  throne.  My 
king  begs  the  favor  of  being  allowed  to  make  good  the  delin- 
quency toward  you  of  the  present  Russian  regency,  and  that 
he  may  have  the  pleasure  of  providing  you  with  the  means 
necessary  to  enable  you  to  establish  a  court  suitable  to  your 
birth  and  position.  I  am  provided  with  sufficient  funds  for 
these  purposes.  You  have  only  to  send  me  by  your  physi- 
cian in  ordinary,  Lestocq,  a  quittance  signed  by  you,  and 
any  sum  you  may  require  will  be  immediately  paid  !"  * 

"  Oh,"  said  the  princess,  with  emotion,  "  I  shall  never  be 
able  sufficiently  to  testify  my  gratitude  to  the  generous 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  224. 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH.  81 

King  of  France.  I  am  a  poor,  insignificant  woman,  who 
can  thankfully  accept  but  never  requite  his  kindness."  ' 

"Who  knows?"  said  the  marquis  significantly.  "You 
may  one  day  become  the  most  powerful  woman  in  Europe, 
for  your  birth  and  your  destiny  call  you  to  the  throne." 

"  Oh,  I  know  you  are  Lestocq's  friend,  and  share  his 
dreams,"  said  the  princess.  "  But  let  us  not  now  speak  of 
impossibilities,  nor  idly  jest,  while  I  am  deeply  touched  by 
the  generous  friendship  of  your  sovereign.  That  I  accept 
his  offer,  may  prove  to  him  and  you  how  much  I  love  and 
respect  him  ;  for  we  willingly  incur  obligations  only  to  those 
who  are  so  highly  estimated  that  we  gratefully  subordinate 
ourselves  to  them.     Write  this  to  your  king." 

"And  may  I  also  write  to  him,"  asked  the  marquis, 
"  that  this  conversation  will  remain  a  secret,  of  which,  above 
all  things,  the  regent,  Anna  Leopoldowna,  is  to  know 
nothing?" 

"  My  imperial  word  of  honor,"  said  the  princess,  "  that 
no  one  except  ourselves  and  Lestocq,  whom  you  yourself 
propose  as  a  medium,  shall  know  anything  of  this  great 
generosity  of  your  sovereign.  God  grant  that  a  time  may 
one  day  come  when  I  may  loudly  and  publicly  acknowledge 
my  great  obligations  to  him  ! " 

"  That  time  will  have  come  when  you  are  Empress  of 
Russia ! "  said  the  ambassador,  taking  his  leave. 

"  Already  one  more  who  has  taken  it  into  his  head  to 
make  an  empress  of  me,"  said  the  princess,  as  her  three  fa- 
vorites again  entered.  "  Foolish  people  that  you  are !  It 
does  not  satisfy  you  to  be  the  friend  of  a  Princess  Elizabeth, 
but  I  must  become  an  empress  for  your  sakes." 


82       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  How  well  the  diadem  would  become  that  proud  pure 
brow ! "  exclaimed  Alexis,  with  animation. 

"  How  happy  would  this  poor  Russia  be  under  your  mild 
sceptre  !  "  said  the  chamberlain,  Woronzow. 

"  Yes,  you  owe  it  to  all  of  us,  to  yourself  and  your  peo- 
ple, to  mount  the  throne  of  your  fathers,"  said  Griinstein. 

"  But  if  I  say  to  you  that  I  will  not  ?  "  cried  the  princess, 
reclining  again  upon  her  divan.  "  The  duties  of  an  empress 
are  very  difficult  and  wearing.  I  love  quiet  and  enjoyment ; 
and,  moreover,  this  throne  of  my  father,  of  which  you  speak 
so  pathetically,  is  already  occupied,  and  awaits  me  not.  See 
you  not  your  sublime  Emperor  Ivan,  whom  the  regent- 
mother  is  rocking  in  his  cradle?  That  is  your  emperor, 
before  whom  you  can  bow,  and  leave  me  unmolested  with 
your  imperial  crown.  Come,  Alexis,  sit  down  by  me  upon 
this  tabouret.  We  will  take  another  look  at  these  magnifi- 
cent presents.  Ah !  truly  they  are  dearer  to  me  than  the 
possession  of  empire." 

"  The  Princess  Elizabeth  can  thus  speak  only  in  jest," 
said  an  earnest  voice  behind  them. 

"  Ah,  Lestocq !  "  cried  the  princess,  with  a  friendly  nod. 
"  You  come  very  late,  my  friend." 

"  And  yet  too  soon  to  bring  you  bad  news ! "  said 
Lestocq,  with  a  profound  and  respectful  bow  to  the  princess. 

"Bad  news?"  repeated  Elizabeth,  turning  pale.  "J/bw 
Dieu,  am  I,  then,  one  too  many  for  them  here?  Would 
they  kill  me,  or  send  me  in  exile  to  Siberia  ?  " 

"  Yet  worse !  "  laconically  responded  Lestocq.  "  But, 
first  of  all,  let  us  be  cautious,  and  take  care  that  we  have  no 
listeners."    And,  crossing  the  room,  Lestocq  closed  all  the 


A  CONSPIRACY.  83 

doors,  and  carefully  looked  behind  the  window  curtains  to 
make  sure  that  no  one  was  concealed  there.  "  Now,  prin- 
cess," he  commenced,  in  a  tone  of  solemnity,  "  now  listen  to 
what  I  have  to  say  to  you." 


CHAPTER  X. 

A    CONSPIEACY. 

A  MOMENTARY  pause  followed.  Princess  Elizabeth  si- 
lently motioned  her  friends  to  be  seated,  and  drew  her 
favorite  Alexis  nearer  to  her. 

Lestocq,  her  physician  and  confidant,  with  a  solemn 
countenance,  took  a  place  opposite  her. 

"  We  are  ready  to  hear  your  bad  news,"  said  the  princess. 

"  The  regent,  Anna  Leopoldowna,  will  have  herself 
crowned  as  empress,"  laconically  responded  Lestocq. 

Elizabeth  looked  at  him  interrogatively  and  with  curios- 
ity for  the  continuation  of  his  bad  news.  But  as  Lestocq 
remained  silent,  she  asked  with  astonishment :  "  Is  that  all 
you  have  to  tell  us  ?  " 

"  Preliminarily,  that  is  all,"  answered  Lestocq. 

Princess  Elizabeth  broke  out  with  a  joyous  laugh. 

"  Well,  this  is,  in  fact,  very  comic.  With  a  real  Job's 
mien  you  announce  to  us  the  worst  news,  and  then  inform 
us  that  Anna  Leopoldowna  is  to  be  crowned  empress !  Let 
her  be  crowned  !  No  one  will  interfere  to  prevent  it,  and 
she  will  be  none  the  happier  for  it.  No  woman  who  has 
taken  possession  of  the  Russian  throne  as  an  independent 


84       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRKSS. 

princess  has  ever  yet  been  happy.  Or  do  you  think  that 
Catharine,  my  lofty  step-mother,  was  so  ?  Believe  me,  upon 
the  throne  she  trembled  with  fear  of  assassins ;  for  it  is  well 
known  that  this  Russian  throne  is  surrounded  by  murderers, 
awaiting  only  the  favorable  moment.  Ah,  whenever  I  have 
stood  in  front  of  this  imperial  throne,  it  has  always  seemed 
to  me  that  I  saw  the  points  of  a  thousand  daggers  peeping 
forth  from  its  soft  cushions !  And  you  would  have  me  seat 
myself  upon  such  a  dagger-beset  throne  ?  No,  no,  leave  me 
my  peace  and  my  repose.  Let  Anna  Leopoldowna  declare 
herself  empress — what  should  I  care?  I  should  have  to 
bend  before  her  with  my  congratulations.     That  is  all ! " 

And  the  princess,  letting  her  head  glide  upon  Razu- 
movsky's  shoulder,  as  if  exhausted  by  this  long  speech, 
closed  her  fatigued  eyelids. 

"  Ah,  if  Czar  Peter,  your  great  father,  could  hear  you," 
sadly  said  Lestocq,  "  he  would  spurn  you  for  such  pusilla- 
nimity, princess." 

"  It  is,  therefore,  fortunate  for  me  that  he  is  dead,"  said 
the  princess,  with  ja,  smile.  "  And  now,  my  dear  Lestocq,  if 
you  know  nothing  further,  let  this  suffice  you :  I  tell  you, 
once  for  all,  that  I  have  no  desire  for  this  imperial  throne. 
I  would  crown  my  head  with  roses  and  myrtles,  but  not  with 
that  golden  circle  which  would  crush  me  to  the  earth. 
Therefore,  trouble  me  no  more  on  this  subject.  Be  con- 
tent with  what  I  am,  and  if  you  cannot,  well — then  I  must 
be  reconciled  to  being  abandoned  by  you  ! " 

"  I  will  never  desert  you,  even  if  I  must  follow  you  to 
suffering  and  death  !  "  exclaimed  Alexis  Razumovsky,  cast- 
ing himself  at  the  feet  of  the  princess. 


A  CONSPIRACY.  85 

"  We  will  remain  true  and  faithful  to  you  unto  death ! " 
cried  Woronzow  and  Griinstein. 

"Well,  and  you  alone  remain  silent,  Lestocq?"  asked 
the  princess,  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  I  have  not  yet  come  to  the  end  of  my  bad  news,"  said 
Lestocq,  with  a  clouded  brow. 

"  Ah ! "  jestingly  interposed  the  princess,  "  you  would, 
perhaps,  as  further  bad  news,  inform  us  that  the  Emperor 
Ivan  has  cut  his  first  tooth  !  " 

"  No,"  said  Lestocq,  "  I  would  only  say  to  you,  that  the 
18th  of  December,  the  day  on  which  the  regent  is  to  be 
crowned  as  empress,  the  18th  of  December  is  the  day  as- 
signed for  the  marriage  of  the  Princess  Elizabeth  with 
Prince  Louis  of  Brunswick,  the  new  Duke  of  Courland ! " 

The  princess  sprang  up  from  her  seat  as  if  stung  by  an 
adder.  Alexis  Razumovsky,  who  still  knelt  at  her  feet,  ut- 
tered loud  lamentations,  in  which  Woronzow  and  Griinstein 
soon  joined.  With  calm  triumph  Lestocq  observed  the  ef- 
fect produced  by  his  words. 

"What  are  you  saying  there?"  at  length  Elizabeth 
breathlessly  asked. 

"  I  say  that  on  the  18th  of  December  the  Princess  Eliza- 
beth is  to  be  married  to  Prince  Louis  of  Brunswick,  who  has 
already  come  to  St.  Petersburg  for  that  purpose,"  calmly 
answered  Lestocq. 

"  And  I  say,"  cried  the  princess, "  that  no  such  marriage 
will  ever  take  place ! " 

Lestocq  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  Princess  Elizabeth  is 
a  gentle,  peace-loving,  always  suffering  lamb,"  he  said, 

"  But  Princess  Elizabeth  can  become  a  tigress  when  it 


86       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

concerns  the  defence  of  her  holiest  rights ! "  exclaimed  the 
princess,  pacing  the  room  in  violent  excitement. 

"  Ah,"  she  continued,  "  they  are  not  then  satisfied  with 
delivering  me  over  to  poverty  and  abandonment ;  it  does  not 
suffice  them  to  see  me  so  deeply  humiliated  as  to  receive  alms 
from  this  regent  who  occupies  the  throne  that  belongs  to 
me.  They  would  rob  me  of  my  last  and  only  remaining 
blessing,  my  personal  freedom  !  They  would  make  my  poor 
heart  a  prisoner,  and  bind  it  with  the  chains  and  fetters  of 
a  marriage  which  I  abhor !  No,  no,  I  tell  you  that  shall 
they  never  do." 

And  the  princess,  qujte  beside  herself  with  rage,  stamped 
her  feet  and  doubled  up  her  little  hands  into  fists.  Now 
was  she  her  father's  real  and  not  unworthy  daughter ;  Czar 
Peter's  bold  and  savage  spirit  flashed  from  her  eyes,  his 
scorn  and  courageous  determination  spoke  from  her  wildly 
excited  features.  She  saw  not,  she  heard  not  what  was 
passing  around  her ;  she  was  wholly  occupied  with  her  own 
angry  thoughts,  and  with  those  dreadful  images  which  the 
mere  idea  of  marriage  had  conjured  up. 

Her  four  favorites  stood  together  at  some  distance,  ob- 
serving her  with  silent  sympathy. 

"  It  is  now  for  you,  Alexis  Razumovsky,  to  complete 
the  work  we  have  begun,"  whispered  Lestocq  to  him. 
"  Elizabeth  loves  you  ;  you  must  nourish  in  her  this  abhor- 
rence of  a  marriage  with  the  prince.  You  must  make 
yourself  so  loved,  that  she  will  dare  all  rather  than  lose 
you  !  We  have  long  enough  remained  in  a  state  of  abject- 
ness ;  it  is  time  to  labor  for  our  advancement.  To  the 
work,  to  the  work,  Alexis  Razumovsky !     We  must  make 


A  CONSPIRACY.  87 

an  empress   of  this  Elizabeth,  that   she   may  raise  us  to 
wealth  and  dignities  !  " 

"  Rely  upon  me,"  whispered  Alexis,  "  she  must  and  shall 
join  in  our  plans." 

He  approached  the  princess,  who  was  walking  the  room 
in  a  state  of  the  most  violent  agitation,  giving  vent  to  her 
internal  excitement  and  anger  in  loud  exclamations  and 
bitter  curses. 

"  I  must  therefore  die !  "  sighed  Alexis,  pressing  Eliza- 
beth's trembling  hand  to  his  lips.  "Kill  me,  princess, 
thrust  a  dagger  in  my  heart,  that  I  at  least  may  not  live  to 
see  you  married  to  another  !  " 

"No,  you  shall  not  die,"  cried  Elizabeth,  with  fierce 
vehemence,  throwing  her  arms  around  Razumovsky's  neck. 
"  I  will  know  how  to  defend  you  and  myself,  Alexis  !  Ah, 
they  would  shackle  me, — they  would  force  me  to  marry, 
because  they  know  I  hate  marriage.  Yes,  I  hate  those  un- 
natural fetters  which  would  command  my  heart,  force  it 
into  obedience  to  an  unnatural  law,  and  degrade  divine  free 
love,  which  would  flutter  from  flower  to  flower,  into  a 
necessity  and  a  duty.  It  is  an  unnatural  law  which 
would  compel  us  forever  to  love  a  man  because  he  pleased 
us  yesterday  or  may  please  us  to-day,  and  who  perhaps 
may  not  please  us  to-morrow,  while  on  the  next  day  he 
may  excite  only  repugnance !  Would  they  forge  these 
matrimonial  chains  for  me?  Ah,  Regent  Anna,  you  are 
this  time  mistaken ;  you  may  be  all-powerful  in  this  em- 
pire, but  you  cannot  and  shall  not  extend  that  power  over 
me!" 

"And   how,"  asked   Lestocq,  shrugging  his  shoulders, 


88       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  how  will  Princess  Elizabeth  oppose  the  regent  or  empress? 
What  weapon  has  she  with  which  to  contend?' 

"  If  it  must  be  so,  I  will  oppose  power  to  power !  "  pas- 
sionately exclaimed  the  princess.  "  Yes,  when  it  comes  to 
the  defence  of  my  freedom  and  my  personal  rights  I  will 
then  have  the  courage  to  dare  all,  defy  all ;  then  will  I 
shake  off  the  lethargy  of  contented  mediocrity,  and  upon 
the  throne  will  find  that  freedom  which  Anna  would  tread 
under  foot ! " 

"  Long  live  our  future  empress  !  Long  live  Elizabeth  !  " 
cried  the  men  with  wild  excitement. 

"  I  have  long  withstood  you,  my  friends,"  said  Elizabeth, 
"  I  have  not  coveted  this  imperial  Russian  crown,  but  much 
less  have  I  desired  that  crown  of  thorns  a  compulsory  mar- 
riage. I  am  now  ready  for  the  struggle,  and,  if  it  must  be 
so,  let  a  revolution,  let  streams  of  blood  decide  whether  the 
Regent  Anna  Leopoldowna  or  the  daughter  of  Peter  the 
Great  has  the  best  right  to  govern  this  land  and  prescribe 
its  laws ! " 

"Ah,  now  are  you  really  your  great  father's  great 
daughter!"  cried  Lestocq,  and  bending  a  knee  before  the 
princess,  he  continued :  "  Let  me  be  the  first  to  pay  you 
homage,  the  first  to  swear  eternal  fidelity  to  you,  our  Em- 
press Elizabeth." 

"  Receive  also  my  oath,  Empress  Elizabeth,"  said  Alexis, 
falling  upon  his  knees  before  her,  "receive  the  oaths  of  your 
slaves  who  desire  nothing  but  to  devote  their  bodies  and 
souls  to  your  service  !  " 

"  Let  me,  also,  do  homage  to  you.  Empress  Elizabeth !  ** 
exclaimed  Woronzow,  falling  to  the  earth. 


A  CONSPIRACY.  89 

"  And  I,  too,  will  lie  at  your  feet  and  declare  myself 
your  slave,  Empress  Elizabeth!"  said  Griinstein,  kneeling 
with  the  others. 

But  Elizabeth's  anger  was  already  past ;  only  a  moment- 
ary storm-wind  had  lashed  her  gently  flowing  blood  into 
the  high  foaming  waves  of  rage ;  now  all  again  was  calm 
within  her,  and  consequently  this  solemn  homage  scene  of 
her  four  kneeling  friends  made  only  a  comic  impression 
upon  her. 

She  burst  into  a  loud  laugh  ;  astonished  and  half  angry, 
the  kneeling  men  looked  up  to  her,  and  that  only  increased 
her  hilarity. 

"  Ah,  this  is  infinitely  amusing,"  said  the  princess,  con- 
tinuing to  laugh  ;  "  there  lie  my  vassals,  and  what  vassals ! 
Herr  Lestocq,  a  physician ;  Herr  Griinstein,  a  bankrupt 
shopkeeper  and  now  under-officer ;  Herr  Woronzow,  cham- 
berlain ;  and  Alexis  Razumovsky,  my  private  secretary.  And 
here  am  I,  the  empress  of  such  vassals,  and  what  sort  of  an 
empress  ?  An  empress  of  four  subjects,  an  empress  without 
a  throne  and  without  a  crown,  without  land  and  without  a 
people — an  empress  who  never  was  and  never  will  be  an 
empress !  And  in  this  solemn  buffoonery  you  cut  such 
serious  faces  as  might  make  one  die  with  laughter." 

The  princess  threw  herself  upon  the  divan  and  laughed 
until  the  tears  ran  down  her  cheeks. 

"  Princess,"  said  Lestocq,  rising,  "  these  four  men,  at 
whom  you  now  laugh,  will  make  you  empress,  and  then  it 
will  be  in  your  power  to  convert  this  chirurgeon  into  a 
privy  councillor  and  court  physician,  this  bankrupt  mer- 
chant into  a  rich  banker,  this  chamberlain  into  an  imperial 
7 


90      'THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

lord-marshal,  and  your  private  secretary  into  a  count  or 
prince  of  the  empire." 

The  eyes  of  the  princess  shone  yet  brighter,  and  with  a 
tender  glance  at  Alexis  Eazumovsky  she  said :  "  Yes,  I  will 
make  him  a  prince  and  overload  him  with  presents  and 
honors.  Ah,  that  is  an  object  worth  the  pains  of  struggling 
for  an  imperial  crown." 

"  No,  no,"  interposed  Alexis,  kissing  her  hand,  "  I  need 
neither  wealth  nor  titles ;  I  need  nothing,  desire  nothing 
but  to  be  near  you,  to  be  able  to  breathe  the  air  that  has 
fanned  your  cheek.  I  desire  nothing  for  myself,  but  every- 
thing for  my  friends  here,  with  whose  faithful  aid  we  shall 
soon  be  enabled  to  greet  you  a  real  empress." 

Elizabeth's  brow  beamed  with  the  purest  blessedness. 
"  You  are  as  unselfish  as  the  angels  in  heaven,  my  Alexis," 
said  she.  "  It  suffices  you  that  I  am  Elizabeth,  you  lan- 
guish not  for  this  imperial  title  which  these  others  would 
force  upon  me." 

Alexis  smilingly  shook  his  fine  head.  "  You  err,  prin- 
cess," said  he ;  "I  would  freely  and  joyfully  give  my  heart's 
blood,  could  I  this  day  but  salute  you  as  empress!"  I 
should  then,  at  least,  have  no  more  to  fear  from  this  strange 
prince  whom  they  would  compel  you  to  marry !  " 

A  cloud  passed  over  the  brow  of  the  princess.  "  Yes, 
you  are  right,"  said  she,  "  we  must  avoid  that  at  all  events, 
and  if  there  are  no  other  means,  very  well,  I  shall  know 
what  to  decide  upon — I  shall  venture  an  attempt  to  dethrone 
the  regent  and  make  myself  empress  !  But,  my  friends,  let 
that  now  suffice.  I  need  rest.  Call  my  women  to  undress 
me,  Woronzow.      Good-night,  good-night,  my  high   and 


A  CONSPIRACY.  91 

lofty  vassals,  your  great  aud  powerful  empress  allows  you 
to  kiss  her  haud  !  " 

With  a  pleasing  graciousness  she  extended  her  fair 
hands  to  her  friends,  who  respectfully  pressed  them  to  their 
lips  and  then  departed. 

"  Alexis  ! "  called  the  princess,  as  Eazumovsky  was  about 
to  withdraw  with  the  others — "Alexis,  you  will  remain 
awhile.  While  my  women  are  undressing  me,  you  shall 
sing  me  to  sleep  with  that  charming  slumber-song  you  sing 
so  splendidly ! " 

Alexis  smiled  and  remained. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  deep  silence  prevailed  in  the 
dark  palace  of  Elizabeth,  and  through  the  stillness  of  the 
night  was  heard  only  the  sweetly-melodious  voice  of  the 
handsome  Alexis,  who  was  singing  his  slumber-song  to  the 
princess. 

From  this  day  forward  her  four  trusted  friends  left  the 
princess  no  peace.  They  so  stormed  her  with  prayers  and 
supplications,  Alexis  so  well  knew  how  to  represent  his 
despair  at  her  approaching  and  unavoidable  marriage,  that 
the  amiable  princess,  to  satisfy  her  friends  and  be  left  her- 
self at  peace,  declared  herself  ready  to  sanction  the  plans 
of  her  confidants  and  enter  into  a  conspiracy  against  the 
regent. 

Soon  a  small  party  was  formed  for  the  cause  of  the 
princess.  Griinstein — who,  as  the  princess  had  said,  from 
a  bankrupt  merchant  had  attained  the  position  of  sub- 
ordinate officer — Griinstein  had  succeeded  in  winning  for 
the  cause  of  the  princess  some  fifty  grenadiers  of  the  Preo- 
brajensky  regiment,  to  which  he  belonged ;  and  these  people, 


92       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

drunkards  and  dissolute  fellows,  were  the  principal  props 
upon  which  Elizabeth's  throne  was  to  be  established !  They 
were  neither  particular  about  the  means  resorted  to  for  the 
accomplishment  of  the  proposed  revolution,  nor  careful  to 
envelop  their  movements  in  secrecy. 

Elizabeth  soon  began  to  find  pleasure  and  distraction  in 
exciting  the  enthusiasm  of  the  soldiers.  She  often  repaired 
to  the  caserns  of  the  guards,  and  her  mildness  and  affability 
won  for  her  the  hearts  of  the  rough  soldiers  accustomed  to 
slavish  subjection.  When  she  rode  through  the  streets,  it 
was  not  an  unusual  occurrence  to  see  common  soldiers  ap- 
proach her  sledge  and  converse  familiarly  with  her.  Wher- 
ever she  showed  herself,  there  the  soldiers  received  her  with 
shouts,  and  the  palace  of  the  princess  was  always  open 
to  them.  In  this  way  Elizabeth  made  herself  popular,  and 
the  Regent  Anna,  who  was  informed  of  it,  smiled  at  it  with 
indifference. 

Just  as  incautiously  did  Elizabeth's  fanatical  political 
manager,  Lestocq,  set  about  his  work.  He  made  no  secret 
of  his  intercourse  with  the  French  ambassador,  and  in  the 
public  coffee-houses  he  was  often  heard  in  a  loud  voice  to 
prophesy  an  approaching  political  change. 

But  with  regard  to  all  these  imprudences  it  seemed  as  if 
the  court  and  the  regent  were  blinded  by  the  most  careless 
confidence,  as  if  they  could  not  see  what  was  directly  before 
their  eyes.  It  was  as  if  destiny  covered  those  eyes  with 
a  veil,  that  they  might  not  see,  and  against  destiny  even  the 
great  and  the  powerful  of  the  earth  struggle  in  vain. 


THE  WARNING.  93 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  WARNING. 

The  4tli  of  December,  the  day  of  tlie  court-ball,  to 
which  Elizabeth  had  looked  forward  with  a  longing  heart 
because  of  her  anxiety  to  display  at  court  her  new  Parisian 
dresses,  at  length  had  come.  A  most  active  movement  pre- 
vailed in  the  palace  of  the  regent.  The  lord-marshal  and 
the  chamberlains  on  service  passed  up  and  down  through 
the  rooms,  overlooking  with  sharp  eyes  the  various  orna- 
ments, festoons,  garlands,  and  draperies,  to  make  sure  that 
all  was  splendid,  and  tasteful,  and  magnificent. 

Anna  Leopoldowna  troubled  herself  very  little  about 
these  busy  movements  in  her  palace.  She  was  in  her  bou- 
doir, delightedly  reading  a  letter  from  her  distant  lover, 
which  had  just  been  received  under  Julia's  address.  She 
had  already  read  this  letter  several  times,  but  ever  recom- 
menced it,  and  ever  found  some  new  word,  some  new  phrase 
that  proved  to  her  the  glowing  love  of  her  absent  friend. 

"Ah,  he  still  loves  me,"  murmured  she,  pressing  the 
letter  to  her  lips  ;  "  he  really  loves  me,  and  this  short  separa- 
tion will  not  estrange  his  heart,  but  cause  it  to  glow  with 
warmer  passion !  Oh,  what  a  happiness  will  it  be  when  he 
again  returns  !  And  he  will  return  !  Yes,  he  will  be  with 
me  again  on  the  18th  of  December,  and,  animated  by  his 
glances,  I  shall  for  the  first  time  appear  in  all  the  splendor 
of  an  imperial  crown.  Ah,  they  have  no  presentiment,  my 
councillors  and  ministers,  that  I  have  selected  the  18th  of 
December  for  the  ceremony  precisely  because  it  is  the  birth- 


9J,       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

day  of  my  beloved  !  He  will  know  it,  he  will  understand 
why  his  Anna  has  chosen  this  particular  day,  and  he  will 
thank  me  with  one  of  those  proud  and  glowing  glances 
which  always  made  my  heart  tremulous  with  overpowering 
happiness.  Oh,  my  Lynar,  what  a  blessed  moment  will  be 
that  when  I  see  you  again  ! " 

A  slight  knock  at  the  door  interrupted  the  imaginings 
of  the  princess.  It  was  Julia  von  Mengden,  who  came  to 
announce  the  old  Count  Ostermann. 

"  And  is  it  for  him  that  you  disturb  my  delightful  soli- 
tude ? "  asked  the  princess,  somewhat  reproachfully.  "  Is 
this  Count  Ostermann,  is  this  whole  miserable  realm  of  so 
much  importance  to  me  as  the  sweet  contemplation  of  a 
letter  from  my  friend  ?  When  I  am  reading  his  letter  it 
seems  to  me  that  my  beloved  himself  is  at  ray  side,  and 
therefore  you  must  clearly  see  that  I  cannot  receive  Count 
Ostermann,  as  Lynar  is  with  me  ! " 

"  Put  your  letter  and  your  lover  in  your  bosopi,"  said 
Julia,  with  a  laugh ;  "  he  will  be  very  happy  there,  and 
then  you  can  receive  the  old  count  without  betraying  your 
lover's  presence !  The  count  has  so  pressingly  begged  for 
an  audience  that  I  finally  promised  to  intercede  with  you 
for  him." 

"  Ah,  this  eternal  business ! "  angrily  exclaimed  the 
princess.  "  They  will  never  let  me  have  any  peace ;  they 
harass  me  the  whole  day.  Even  now,  when  it  is  time  to  be 
making  my  toilet  for  the  ball — even  now  I  must  be  tor- 
mented with  affairs  of  state." 

"Shall  I,  then,  send  away  Count  Ostermann?"  sulkily 
asked  Julia. 


THE  WARNING.  95 

"  That  I  may,  consequently,  for  the  whole  evening  see 
you  with  a  dissatisfied  face?  No,  let  him  come ;  but  forget 
not  that  I  submit  to  this  annoyance  only  to  please  you." 

With  a  grateful  smile,  Julia  kissed  the  regent's  hand, 
and  then  hastened  to  bear  to  Count  Ostermann  the  favor- 
able answer. 

In  a  few  minutes,  Count  Ostermann,  painfully  support- 
ing himself  upon  two  crutches,  entered  the  regent's  cabinet. 

Anna  Leopoldowna  received  him,  sitting  in  an  arm- 
chair, and  listlessly  rummaging  in  a  band-box  filled  with 
various  articles  of  dress  and  embroidery,  which  had  just 
been  brought  to  her. 

"  Well,"  said  she,  raising  her  eyes  for  a  moment  to 
glance  at  Ostermann,  "you  come  at  a  very  inconvenient 
hour,  Herr  Minister  Count  Ostermann.  You  see  that  I  am 
already  occupied  with  my  toilet,  and  am  endeavoring  to 
find  a  suitable  head-dress.  W^ill  you  aid  me  in  the  choice, 
sir  count  ?  " 

Ostermann  had  until  now,  painfully  and  with  many  sup- 
pressed groans,  sustained  himself  upon  his  feet ;  at  a  silent 
nod  from  the  princess  he  glided  down  into  a  chair,  and 
staring  at  Anna  with  his  piercing  and  wonderfully-flashing 
eyes,  he  said  : 

"Your  highness  would  select  a  head-dress?  Well,  as 
you  ask  my  advice  in  the  matter,  I  will  give  it ;  choose  a 
head-dress  so  firm  and  solid  as  to  prove  a  fortification  for 
the  defence  of  your  head.  Choose  a  head-dress  that  will 
protect  you  against  conspiracies  and  revolutions,  against 
false  friends  and  smiling  enemies !  Choose  a  head-dress 
that  will  keep  your  head  upon  your  shoulders  !  " 


96       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Count  Ostermann  speaks  in  riddles,"  said  Anna,  smil- 
ing, and  at  the  same  time  arranging  a  wreath  of  artificial 
roses.  "  Or  no,  it  was  not  Count  Ostermann,  but  a  toad 
singing  his  hoarse  song.  Drive  away  that  toad,  Ostermann, 
it  is  broad  day — why,  then,  have  we  the  croaking  of  such 
night-birds  ?  " 

"  Listen  to  the  croaking  of  this  toad,"  anxiously  re- 
sponded the  old  man.  "  Believe  me,  princess,  when  the 
toads  croak  in  broad  daylight,  it  betokens  an  approaching 
misfortune.  Let  it  warn  you,  Madame  Regent  Anna! 
You  have  called  me  a  toad — very  well,  toads  always  have 
correctly  prophesied  misfortune,  and  if  they  can  never  avert 
it,  it  is  because  overwise  people  will  not  listen  to  such 
oracular  voices  of  all-wise  Nature  !  Let  me  be  your  toad, 
your  highness,  and  listen  to  me  !  I  foresee  misfortune  for 
you.  Believe  my  prophecy,  and  that  misfortune  may  yet  be 
averted.  Mark  the  signs  by  which  fate  would  warn  you ! 
Did  you  not  yesterday  see  Elizabeth  driving  through  the 
streets,  chatting  and  jesting  with  the  soldiers,  who  crowded 
around  her  sledge  ?  Have  you  not  heard  how  the  grenadiers 
of  the  Preobrajensky  regiment  shouted  after  her  ?  Has  it 
not  been  told  you  that  Lestocq  holds  secret  intercourse  with 
the  French  ambassador,  and  know  you  not  that  Lestocq  is 
the  confidential  servant  of  the  princess?  Guard  yourself 
against  Princess  Elizabeth,  your  highness ! " 

"  Are  you  in  earnest  ?  "  smilingly  asked  Anna,  drawing 
her  silver  toilet-glass  nearer  to  her  person,  and  placing  a 
bouquet  of  flowers  in  her  hair  to  examine  its  effect  in  the 
glass. 

*'  Oh,  Heavens ! "  cried  Count  Ostermann,  "  you  adorn 


THE   WARNING.  97 

yoiii*self  with  flowers,  while  I  am  telling  you  that  you  are 
threatened  with  a  conspiracy  ! " 

"  A  conspiracy ! "  laughed  the  regent,  "  and  Princess 
Elizabeth  to  be  at  the  head  of  it !  Believe  me,  you  overwise 
men,  with  all  your  wisdom,  never  learn  rightly  to  under- 
stand women.  I,  however,  am  a  woman,  and  I  understand 
Elizabeth.  You  think  that  when  she  kindly  chats  with  the 
soldiers,  and  admits  the  handsome  stately  grenadiers  into 
her  house,  it  is  done  for  the  purpose  of  conspiring  with 
them.  Go  to,  Count  Ostermann,  you  are  very  innocent 
Princess  Elizabeth  has  but  one  passion,  but  it  is  not  the 
desire  of  ruling ;  and  when  she  chats  with  handsome  men, 
she  speaks  not  of  conspiracy,  believe  me."  And,  laughing, 
the  regent  essayed  a  new  head-dress. 

"  And  how  do  you  explain  the  secret  meetings  of  Les- 
tocq  and  the  Marquis  de  la  Chetardie  ?  "  asked  Ostermann, 
with  painfully-suppressed  agitation. 

"Explain?  Why  should  I  seek  an  explanation  for 
things  that  do  not  at  all  interest  me  ?  What  is  it  to  me 
what  the  surgeon  Lestocq  has  to  do  with  the  constantly- 
ailing  French  ambassador?  Or  do  you  think  I  should 
trouble  myself  about  the  lavements  administered  to  an  am- 
bassador by  a  surgeon  ?  "  ' 

"Well,  then,  your  highness  will  allow  me  to  explain 
their  meetings  from  a  less  medical  point  of  view  ?  France  is 
your  enemy,  France  meditates  your  destruction,  and  the 
Marquis  de  la  Chetardie  is  exciting  the  princess  and  Les- 
tocq to  an  insurrection." 

"  And  to  what  end,  if  I  may  be  allowed  to  ask  ?  "  scorn- 
fully inquired  Anna. 


98       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  France,  struggling  with  internal  and  foreign  enemies, 
at  war  with  Austria,  involved  in  disputes  with  Holland  and 
Spain,  France  would  wish  at  any  price  to  see  the  Kussian 
government  so  occupied  with  her  own  domestic  difficulties 
as  to  have  no  time  to  devote  to  international  affairs.  She 
would  provide  you  with  plenty  of  occupation  at  home,  that 
you  may  not  actively  interfere  with  the  affairs  of  the  rest  of 
the  world.  That  is  the  shrewd  policy  of  France,  and  it 
would  fill  me  with  admiration  were  it  not  fraught  with  the 
most  terrible  danger  to  us.  The  Marquis  de  la  Chetardie 
has  it  in  charge  to  bring  about  a  revolution  here  at  any 
price,  and  as  an  expert  diplomatist,  he  very  well  compre- 
hends that  Princess  Elizabeth  is  the  best  means  he  can 
employ  for  that  purpose ;  for  she,  as  the  daughter  of  Czar 
Peter,  has  the  sympathies  of  the  old  Russians  in  her  favor, 
and  they  will  flock  to  her  with  shouts  of  joy  whenever  she 
may  announce  to  the  people  that  she  is  ready  to  drive  the 
foreign  rulers  from  Russia  ! " 

"Ah,  our  good  Russians,"  laughingly  exclaimed  the 
regent,  "  they  shout  only  for  those  who  make  them  drunk, 
and  for  that  the  poor  princess  lacks  the  means !  " 

"  The  Marquis  de  la  Chetardie  has,  in  the  name  of  his 
king,  offered  her  an  unlimited  credit,  and  she  is  already 
provided  with  almost  a  million  of  silver  rubles." 

"  You  have  a  reason  for  every  thing,"  laughed  the 
regent.  "  The  princess  is  poor ;  let  the  French  ambas- 
sador quickly  provide  her  with  his  millions.  The  good 
princess,  I  wish  she  had  these  millionsj  and  then  she 
could  indulge  her  love  of  ornaments  and  magnificent 
dresses." 


THE  WARNING.  99 

"The  marquis  has  brought  her  rich  dresses  and  stuffs 
from  Paris,"  said  Ostermann,  laconically. 

The  regent  burst  into  a  clear,  ringing  laugh. 

"  The  marquis  is  a  real  deus  ex  machina^''  exclaimed  she. 
"  Wherever  you  need  him,  he  appears  and  helps  you  out  of 
your  trouble.  But  seriously,  my  dear  count,  let  it  now 
suffice  with  these  gloomy  suspicions.  They  are  already 
commencing  the  dance-music,  and  you  will  put  me  out  of 
tune  with  your  croaking.  A  ball,  my  dear  count,  requires 
that  one  should  be  in  and  not  out  of  tune,  and  you  are  pur- 
suing the  best  course  to  frighten  the  smiles  from  my  lips." 

"  Oh,  could  I  but  do  that !  "  cried  Ostermann,  wringing 
his  hands — "  could  I  but  cry  in  your  ear  with  a  voice  of 
thunder :  '  Princess,  awake  from  this  slumber  of  indiffer- 
ence, force  yourself  to  act,  save  your  son,  your  husband, 
your  friends ;  for  we  are  all,  all  lost  with  you  ! '  " 

"  Oh,  speaking  of  my  sou,"  smilingly  interposed  the 
regent,  "  you  must  see  a  splendid  present  which  the  Em- 
peror Ivan  has  this  day  received." 

With  this  she  took  from  a  cartoon  a  small  child's  dress, 
embroidered  with  gold  and  sparkling  with  brilliants,  which 
she  handed  to  the  count.* 

"  Only  look  at  this  splendor,"  said  she.  "  The  ladies  of 
Moscow  have  embroidered  this  for  the  young  emperor,  and 
it  has  to-day  been  presented  by  a  deputation.  Will  not  the 
little  emperor  make  a  magnificent  appearance  in  this  bril- 
liant dress?" 

Count  Ostermann  did   not  answer  immediately.     His 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  225. 


100      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

face  had  assumed  a  very  painful  expression,  and  deep  sighs 
escaped  his  agitated  breast.  Slowly  rising  from  his  seat, 
with  a  sad  glance  at  the  princess,  he  said : 

"  I  see  that  your  destruction  is  inevitable,  and  I  cannot 
save  you  ;  you  will  be  ruined,  and  we  all  with  you.  Well,  I 
am  an  old  man,  ^nd  I  pardon  your  highness,  for  you  act 
not  thus  from  an  evil  disposition,  but  because  you  have  a 
noble  and  confiding  heart.  Believe  me,  generosity  and 
confidence  are  the  worst  failings  with  which  a  man  can  be 
tainted  in  this  world — failings  which  always  insure  destruc- 
tion, and  have  only  mockery  and  derision  for  an  epitaph. 
You  are  no  longer  to  be  helped,  duchess.  You  are  on  the 
borders  of  an  abyss,  into  which  you  will  smilingly  plunge, 
dragging  us  all  after  you.  Well,  peace  be  with  you !  My 
sufferings  have  lately  been  so  great,  that  I  can  only  thank 
you  for  furnishing  me  with  the  means  of  quickly  ending 
them !  Madame,  we  shall  meet  again  on  the  scaffold,  or 
in  Siberia !     Until  then,  farewell ! " 

And,  without  waiting  for  an  answer  from  the  regent^ 
the  old  man,  groaning,  tottered  out  of  the  room. 

"  Thank  Heaven  that  he  is  gone  ! "  said  Anna,  drawing 
a  long  breath  when  the  door  closed  behind  him.  "  This 
old  ghost-seer  has  tormented  me  for  months  with  his  strange 
vagaries,  which  weigh  upon  his  soul  like  the  nightmare ! 
Happily,  thy  letter,  my  beloved,  has  filled  my  whole  heart 
with  the  ecstasy  of  joy,  else  would  his  dark  and  foolish 
prophecies  be  sufficient  to  sadden  me." 

Thus  speaking,  the  princess  again  drew  Count  Lynar's 
letter  from  her  bosom  and  pressed  it  to  her  lips.  Then  she 
called  her  women  to  dress  her  for  the  ball. 


THE  COURT  BALL.  101 

CHAPTER     XII. 

THE   COURT   BALL. 

Some  hours  later  the  elite  of  the  higher  Russian  nobility 
were  assembled  in  the  magnificent  halls  of  the  regent. 
Princes  and  counts,  generals  ana  diplomatists,  beautiful 
women  and  blooming  maidens,  all  moved  in  a  confused  in- 
termixture, jesting  and  laughing  with  each  other.  They 
were  all  very  gay  on  this  evening,  as  the  regent  had  herself 
set  the  example.  With  the  most  unconstrained  cheerful- 
ness, radiant  with  joy,  did  she  wander  through  the  rooms, 
dispensing  smiles  and  agreeable  words  among  all  whom  she 
approached.  She  bore  in  her  bosom  the  glowing  and 
cherished  letter  of  her  lover,  and  at  its  lightest  rustling  she 
seemed  to  feel  the  immediate  presence  of  the  writer.  That 
was  the  secret  of  her  gayety  and  her  joyous  smiles.  People, 
perhaps,  knew  not  this  secret,  but  they  saw  its  effects,  and, 
as  the  all-powerful  regent  deigned  this  day  to  be  cheerful 
and  smiling,  it  was  natural  for  this  host  of  slavish  nobility, 
who  breathe  nothing  but  the  air  of  the  court,  to  adopt  for 
this  evening's  motto,  "  Gayety  and  smiles." 

As  we  have  said,  only  smiling  lips  and  faces  beaming 
with  joy  were  to  be  seen ;  all  breathed  pleasure  and  enjoy- 
ment, all  jested  and  laughed ;  it  seemed  as  if  all  care  and 
sorrow  had  fled  from  this  happy,  select  circle,  to  give  place 
to  the  delights  of  life.  They  had,  with  submissive  humility, 
repressed  all  discontent  and  disaffection,  all  envyings  and 
enmities ;  they  chatted  and  laughed,  while  every  one  knew 
or  suspected  that  they  were  standing  on  a  volcano,  whose 


102  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

overwhelming  eruptions  might  be  expected  at  any  moment, 
and  yet  every  one  feigned  the  most  perfect  innocence  and 
unconstraint.  The  ladies  scrutinized  each  other's  magnifi- 
cent and  costly  toilets,  jesting  and  exchanging  amorous 
glances  with  the  gentlemen  displaying  orders  and  diamond 
crosses, 

A  movement  suddenly  arose  in  the  rooms,  the  crowd 
divided  and  respectfully  withdrew  to  the  sides,  and  through 
the  rows  of  smiling,  humbly  bowing  courtiers  passed  the 
Princess  Elizabeth,  followed  by  her  chamberlain  Woronzow, 
her  private  secretary  Alexis  Razumovsky,  and  her  physician 
Lestocq,  in  the  splendor  of  her  beauty  and  grace,  all  kind- 
ness, all  smiles.  She  was  to-day  wonderfully  charming  in 
her  gold-spangled  lace  dress,  which  flowed  like  a  breath 
over  her  under-dress  of  heavy  white  satin.  Her  widely- 
bared,  full  and  luxuriant  shoulders  were  partially  covered 
by  a  costly  lace  mantelet,  the  present  of  the  French  queen, 
and  her  long,  floating  ringlets  were  surmounted  by  a  wreath 
of  white  roses  such  as  only  Parisian  artistic  skill  could  offer 
in  such  perfect  imitation  of  nature.  Thus  enveloped  as  it 
were  in  a  veil  of  white  mist  and  floating  vapors,  Elizabeth's 
beauty  appeared  only  the  more  full  and  voluptuous.  She 
looked  like  a  purple  rose  standing  out  from  a  cloud  of  flut- 
tering snow-flakes,  wonderfully  charming,  wonderfully  se- 
ductive. Princess  Elizabeth  was  fully  conscious  of  the  im- 
pression she  made,  and  this  internal  satisfaction  manifested 
itself  in  a  sweet  smile  which  increased  the  charm  of  her 
appearance.  With  pride  and  pleasure  she  enjoyed  the  tri- 
umph of  being  the  fairest  of  all  the  beauties  present,  and 
this  triumph  contented  her  heart. 


THE   COURT   BALL.  103 

The  princess  now  approached  her  cousin,  the  Regent 
Anna,  who  came  from  the  adjoining  room  to  meet  and  wel- 
come her,  and  for  one  short  moment  the  courtiers  forgot 
her  smiles  and  her  inoffensiveness.  All  eyes  were  with  the 
most  intense  anxiety  directed  toward  those  two  women  ;  all 
conversation,  jesting,  and  laughing  were  at  once  suspended. 
There  was  a  deep  pause,  all  breathing  was  smothered,  all 
feared  that  the  loud  beating  of  their  hearts  might  betray 
them  and  cause  them  to  be  suspected. 

The  two  princesses  now  approached  each  other — 
Princess  Elizabeth  would  have  bent  a  knee  to  the  regent — 
Anna,  with  charming  kindness,  raising  and  kissing  her, 
tenderly  reproached  her  for  coming  so  late. 

"  I  feared  coming  too  early,"  said  Elizabeth,  pressing  the 
regent's  hand  to  her  lips,  "  for  I  doubted  whether  my  fair 
cousin  would  find  time  to  bestow  a  friendly  word  upon  her 
poor  relation.  Princess  Elizabeth  !  " 

"  How  could  Elizabeth  fear  that,  when  she  knows  I  love 
her  like  a  sister  ?  "  tenderly  asked  the  regent,  and,  taking 
the  arm  of  the  princess,  she  made  with  her  a  round 
through  the  rooms. 

Now  again  came  life  and  movement  in  this  lately  so 
silent  and  anxiously  expectant  assemblage  ;  they  now  knew 
how  they  were  to  deport  themselves:  Princess  Elizabeth 
was  in  the  good  graces  of  the  regent,  and  therefore  they 
could  receive  her  polite  greetings  with  the  most  reverential 
thankfulness;  they  could  approach  her  and  admire  her 
beauty  without  incurring  suspicion.  The  stereotyped  smile 
had  reappeared  upon  all  faces,  cheerful  and  lively  conversa- 
tion was  again  resumed,  and  wherever  the  two  arm-in-arm 


104  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

wandering  princesses  appeared,  they  were  greeted  with 
endless  shouts  of  ecstasy. 

As  we  have  said,  it  was  a  gay  and  very  splendid  festival. 
Only  occasionally  did  something  like  a  dark  shadow  pass 
through  the  rooms ;  only  here  and  there  did  the  chattering 
guests  forget  their  wonted  smiles  ;  only  occasionally  did  the 
mask  of  cheerfulness  fall  from  many  a  face,  discovering 
serious,  anxious  features,  and  suspicious,  lurking  glances. 
Every  one  felt  that  a  catastrophe  was  impending,  but,  as  no 
one  could  know  its  result  in  advance,  all  wished  to  keep  as 
clear  of  it  as  possible,  and  seem  perfectly  unconscious  and 
unaffected  by  these  things.  As  they  could  not  foresee  which 
party  would  triumph,  they  found  it  advisable  to  join  neither 
while  awaiting  coming  events,  after  which  they  would  hail 
as  lords  and  masters  those  who  might  succeed  in  attaining 
to  power. 

For  the  present,  Anna  Leopoldowna  was  the  ruler,  and, 
as  they  were  her  subjects,  they  must  in  humble  submission 
pay  homage  to  her ;  but  Elizabeth  might  become  empress, 
and  therefore  they  must  likewise  pay  homage  to  her,  with  a 
prudent  avoidance  of  the  too  much,  which  might  cause 
them  to  be  suspected  in  case  the  regent  should  still  con- 
tinue in  power. 

These  were  the  dangerous  rocks  between  which  this 
proud  and  elegant  assemblage  had  to  find  their  winding 
way,  and  they  did  it  with  smiles  and  outward  ease,  with 
open  admiration  of  both  princesses,  before  whom  they 
bowed  to  the  ground  with  slavish  submission. 

But  suddenly  something  like  a  panic-terror,  like  an 
unnatural  awe,  flew  through  all  these  splendid  halls ;  the 


THE  COURT  BALL.  105 

smiles  were  arrested  on  all  faces,  the  harmless  jests  on  all 
lips  ;  the  pallor  of  beautiful  women  became  visible  through 
their  paint,  and  generals  staggered  to  and  fro  as  if  a  thun- 
derbolt had  fallen.  As  if  touched  by  a  magic  wand,  every 
one  stood  motionless  like  statues  modelled  in  clay,  no  one 
daring  to  speak  to  his  neighbor  or  make  a  sign  to  a  friend. 
They  would  not  see,  they  would  not  hear,  they  only  wished 
to  seem  to  be  indifferent  and  unobserving. 

As  we  said,  a  panic-terror  pervaded  the  halls,  and  like 
an  evil-announcing  night-spectre  passed  over  the  heads  of 
the  stiffened,  lifeless  crowd  the  dismal  rumor — "  The  regent 
and  the  princess  are  at  variance ;  the  regent  is  speaking  to 
her  with  vehemence,  and  the  princess  weeps ! " 

This  certainly  was  a  terrible  announcement.  But  if  the 
regent  was  angry,  it  must  be  because  she  knew  of  the  in- 
trigues and  machinations  of  the  princess,  and  knowing 
them  she  could  counteract  and  nullify  them ;  consequently 
the  plans  of  the  princess  were  upset,  Anna  Leopold  owna 
would  remain  ruler,  and  her  son  Ivan  the  Czar  of  all  the 
Russias. 

Now  the  touch,  the  vicinity  of  Elizabeth's  friends  be- 
came an  evil-breathing  pest,  a  death-bringing  terror ;  they 
anxiously  avoided  the  vicinity  of  Lestocq,  they  crowded 
back  from  Woronzow  and  Razumovsky,  whom  they  had  be- 
fore sought  with  every  demonstration  of  friendliness ;  they 
even  avoided  looking  at  the  French  ambassador ;  for,  if  the 
regent  knew  all,  she  must  know  of  the  intimate  relations 
of  Lestocq  with  the  Marquis  de  la  Chetardie,  and  he  was 
therefore  doomed  like  the  other  three. 

And  moreover,  this  pernicious  rumor  had  not  lied ;  the 


106  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

two  princesses  were  at  this  moment  no  longer  so  tender  and 
friendly  disposed  as  shortly  before. 

They  had  long  wandered  through  the  halls,  confidingly 
chatting  and  smiling,  and  Anna,  leaning  upon  Elizabeth's 
arm — Anna  who  this  day  saw  every  thing  couleur  de  rose 
— felt  a  sort  of  disquiet  that  people  should  suspect  her  who 
was  walking  by  her  side  with  such  innocent  candor  and 
unconstraint,  seeming  not  to  have  the  least  presentiment  of 
the  dark  cloud  gathering  over  her  head. 

"  She  is  inconsiderate,"  thought  the  regent ;  "  she  allows 
herself  to  be  carried  away  by  her  temperament,  and  behind 
her  inclination  and  her  weakness  for  handsome  grena- 
diers and  soldiers,  her  enemies  seek  to  discover  an  insidi- 
ous and  well  -  considered  conspiracy ;  this  is  cruel  and 
unjust !  This  good  Elizabeth  must  be  warned,  that  she 
may  become  more  cautious,  and  give  her  numerous  ene- 
mies no  occasion  for  suspecting  her.  Poor  innocent  child, 
so  gay  and  ingenuous,  she  plays  with  roses  under  which 
serpents  lie  concealed!  It  is  my  duty  to  warn  her,  and 
I  will." 

Wholly  penetrated  with  this  noble  and  generous  resolu- 
tion, the  regent  drew  her  cousin  Elizabeth  into  the  little 
boudoir  which  lay  at  the  end  of  the  hall,  offering  a  conven- 
ient resting-place  for  a  confidential  conversation. 

But  at  this  moment  Anna's  eyes  fell  upon  the  lace 
mantelet  of  the  princess,  and  quite  involuntarily  came  to 
her  mind  the  warning  words  of  Ostermann,  who  had  said 
to  her  :  "  The  French  ambassador,  by  command  of  his  gov- 
ernment, provides  the  princess  not  only  with  money,  but 
also  with  the  newest  modes  and  most  costly  stuffs."    This 


THE  COURT  BALL.  107 

lace  mantelet  could  surely  only  come  from  Paris ;  nothing 
similar  to  it  had  been  seen  in  St.  Petersburg ;  it  certainly 
required  especial  sources  and  especial  means  for  the  pro- 
curement of  such  a  rare  and  magniiScent  exemplar. 

A  cloud  drew  over  the  regent's  brow,  and  in  a  rather 
sharp  and  cutting  tone  she  said :  "  One  question,  princess ! 
How  came  you  by  this  admirable  lace  veil,  the  like  of  which 
I  have  not  seen  here  in  St.  Petersburg  ?  " 

While  putting  this  question,  the  regent's  eyes  were  fixed 
with  a  piercing,  interrogating  expression  upon  the  face  of 
the  princess :  she  wished  to  observe  the  slightest  shrinking, 
the  least  movement  of  her  features. 

But  Elizabeth  was  prepared  for  the  question ;  she  had 
already  considered  her  answer  with  the  marquis  and  Les- 
tocq.  Her  features  therefore  betrayed  not  the  least  dis- 
turbance or  disquiet ;  raising  her  bright  and  childlike  eyes, 
she  said,  with  an  unconstrained  smile :  "  You  wonder,  do 
you  not,  how  I  came  by  this  costly  ornament  ?  Ah,  I  have 
for  the  last  eight  days  rejoiced  in  the  expectation  of  sur- 
prising you  to-day  with  the  sight  of  it !  " 

"  But  you  have  not  yet  told  me  whence  you  have  these 
costly  laces  ?  "  asked  the  regent  in  a  sharper  tone. 

"  It  is  a  wager  I  have  won  of  the  good  Marquis  de  la 
Chetardie,"  said  Elizabeth,  without  embarrassment,  "and 
your  highness  must  confess  that  this  French  ambassador 
has  paid  his  wager  with  much  taste." 

The  regent  had  constantly  become  more  serious  and 
gloomy,  A  dark,  fatal  suspicion  for  a  moment  overclouded 
her  soul,  and  in  her  usually  unsuspicious  mind  arose  the 
questions :  "  What  if  Ostermann  was  right,  if  Elizabeth  is 


108  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

really  conspiring,  and  the  French  ambassador  is  her  confed- 
erate?" 

"And  what,  if  one  may  ask,  was  the  subject  of  the 
wager  ?  "  she  asked,  with  the  tone  of  an  inquisitor. 

"Ah,  this  good  marquis,"  said  the  princess,  laughing, 
"  had  never  yet  experienced  the  rigor  of  a  Russian  winter, 
and  he  would  not  believe  that  our  Neva  with  its  rushing 
streams  and  rapid  current  would  in  winter  be  changed  into 
a  very  commodious  highway.  I  wagered  that  I  would  con- 
vince him  of  the  fact,  and  be  the  first  to  cross  it  on  the  ice ; 
he  would  not  believe  me,  and  declared  that  I  should  lack 
the  courage.    Well,  of  course  I  did  it,  and  won  my  wager ! " 

The  regent  had  not  turned  her  eyes  from  the  princess 
while  she  was  thus  speaking.  This  serene  calmness,  this 
unembarrassed  childishness,  completely  disarmed  her.  The 
dark  suspicion  vanished  from  her  mind ;  Anna  breathed 
freer,  and  laid  her  hand  upon  her  heart  as  if  she  would 
restrain  its  violent  beating.  The  letter  of  Lynar  slightly 
rustled  under  her  hand. 

A  ray  of  sunshine  became  visible  in  Anna's  face ;  she 
thought  of  her  beloved ;  she  felt  his  presence,  and  immedi- 
ately all  the  vapors  of  mistrust  were  scattered — Anna  feared 
no  more,  she  suspected  no  more,  she  again  became  cheerful 
and  happy — for  she  thought  of  her  distant  lover,  his  affec- 
tionate words  rested  upon  her  bosom — how,  therefore,  could 
she  feel  anger  ? 

She  only  now  recollected  that  she  had  intended  to  warn 
Elizabeth.  She  therefore  threw  her  arms  around  the  neck 
of  the  princess,  and,  sitting  with  her  upon  the  divan,  said : 
*'  Do  you  know,  Elizabeth,  that  you  have  many  enemies  at 


THE  COURT  BALL.  109 

my  court,  and  that  they  would  excite  my  suspicions  against 
you?" 

"  Ah,  I  may  well  believe  they  would  be  glad  to  do  so, 
but  they  cannot,"  said  Elizabeth,  laughing ;  "  I  am  a  fool- 
ish, trifling  woman,  who,  unfortunately  for  them,  do  noth- 
ing to  my  enemies  that  can  render  me  suspected,  as,  in  real- 
ity, I  do  nothing  at  all.  I  am  indolent,  Anna,  very  indo- 
lent; you  ought  to  have  raised  me  better,  my  dear  lady 
regent ! " 

And  with  an  amiable  roguishness  Elizabeth  kissed  the 
tips  of  Anna's  fingers. 

"  No,  no,  be  serious  for  once,"  said  Anna ;  "  laugh  not, 
Elizabeth,  but  listen  to  me  ! " 

And  she  related  to  the  listening  princess  how  people 
came  from  all  sides  to  warn  her ;  that  she  was  told  of  secret 
meetings  which  Lestocq,  in  Elizabeth's  name,  held  with  the 
French  ambassador,  and  that  the  object  of  these  meetings 
was  the  removal  of  the  regent  and  her  son,  and  the  eleva- 
tion of  Elizabeth  to  the  imperial  throne. 

Elizabeth  remained  perfectly  cheerful,  perfectly  unem- 
barrassed, and  even  laughingly  exclaimed— "  What  a  silly 
story ! " 

"  I  believe  nothing  of  it,"  said  Anna,  "  but  at  last  my 
ministers  will  compel  me  to  imprison  Lestocq  and  bring 
him  to  trial,  in  order  to  get  the  truth  out  of  him," 

"  Ah,  they  will  torture  him,  and  yet  he  is  innocent ! " 
cried  Elizabeth,  bursting  into  tears.  And,  clasping  the  re- 
gent's neck,  she  anxiously  exclaimed  :  "  Ah,  Anna,  dear 
Anna,  save  me  from  my  enemies !  Let  them  not  steal  away 
my  friends  and  ruin  me  !     They  would  also  torture  me  and 


110      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

send  me  to  Siberia ;  Anna,  my  friend,  my  sovereign,  save 
me  !  You  alone  can  do  it,  for  you  icnow  me,  and  know  that 
I  am  innocent !  The  idea  that  I  should  conspire  against 
you,  against  you  whom  I  love,  and  to  whom,  upon  the  sacred 
books  of  our  religion,  I  have  sworn  eternal  fidelity  and  de- 
votion !  Anna,  Anna,  I  swear  to  you  by  the  soul  of  my 
father,  I  am  innocent,  as  also  is  my  friend.  Lestocq  has 
never  passed  the  threshold  of  the  French  ambassador's 
hotel !  Oh,  dear,  dear  Anna,  have  mercy  on  me,  and  do 
not  permit  them  to  torture  me  and  wrench  my  poor  mem- 
bers ! " 

"With  a  loud  cry  of  anguish,  with  streaming  tears,  pale 
and  trembling,  Elizabeth  sank  down  at  the  regent's  feet. 

It  was  this  cry  of  anguish  that  rang  through  the  hall, 
and  spread  everywhere  astonishment  and  consternation. 
And  this  shrieking,  and  weeping,  and  trembling,  was  no 
mask,  but  truth.  Elizabeth  was  frightened,  she  wept  and 
trembled  from  fear,  but  she  had  sufficient  presence  of  mind 
not  to  betray  herself  in  words.  It  was  fear  even  that  gave 
her  that  presence  of  mind  and  enabled  her  to  play  her  part 
in  a  manner  so  masterly  that  the  regent  was  completely  de- 
ceived. Taking  the  princess  in  her  arms,  she  pressed  her 
to  her  bosom,  at  the  same  time  endeavoring  to  reassure  and 
console  her  with  tender  and  affectionate  words,  with  reiter- 
ated promises  of  her  protection  and  her  love. 

But  it  was  a  long  time  before  the  trembling  and  weep- 
ing princess  could  be  tranquillized — before  she  could  be 
made  to  believe  Anna's  asseverations  that  she  had  always 
loved  and  never  mistrusted  her. 

"  What  most  deeply  saddens  me,"  said  Elizabeth,  with 


THE  COURT  BALL.  HI 

feeling,  "  is  the  idea  that  you,  my  Anna,  could  believe  these 
calumnies,  and  suppose  me  capable  of  such  black  treason. 
Ah,  I  should  be  as  bad  as  Judas  Iscariot  could  I  betray  my 
noble  and  generous  mistress." 

Tears  of  emotion  stood  in  Anna's  eyes.  She  impressed 
a  tender  kiss  upon  Elizabeth's  lips,  and  with  her  own  hand 
wiped  the  tears  from  the  cheeks  of  the  princess. 

"  Weep  no  more,  Elizabeth,"  she  tenderly  said — "  nay,  I 
beg  of  you,  weep  no  more.  It  is  indeed  all  right  and  good 
between  us,  and  no  cloud  shall  disturb  our  love  or  our  mu- 
tual confidence.  Come,  let  us  smile  and  be  cheerful  again, 
that  this  listening  and  curious  court  may  know  nothing  of 
your  tears.  They  would  make  a  prodigious  affair  of  it,  and 
we  will  not  give  them  occasion  to  say  we  have  been  at  vari- 
ance." 

"  No,  they  shall  all  see  that  I  love,  that  I  adore  you," 
said  Elizabeth,  covering  Anna's  hand  with  kisses. 

"  They  shall  see  that  we  love  each  other,"  said  Anna, 
taking  the  arm  of  the  princess.  "  Be  of  good  cheer,  my 
friend,  and  take  my  imperial  word  for  it  that  I,  whatever 
people  may  say  of  you,  will  believe  no  one  but  yourself; 
that  I  will  triily  inform  you  of  all  calumnies,  and  give 
you  an  opportunity  to  disarm  your  enemies  and  defend 
yourself.  Now  come,  and  let  us  make  another  tour  through 
the  halls." 

Arm  in  arm  the  two  princesses  returned  to  the  nearest 
hall.  This  was  empty,  no  one  daring  to  remain  there  lest 
they  might  incur  the  blame  of  having  overheard  and  un- 
derstood some  word  of  the  princesses,  and  thus  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  their  private  conversation.     People  had  there- 


112  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

fore  withdrawn  to  the  more  distant  rooms,  where  they  still 
preserved  a  breathless  silence. 

Suddenly  the  two  princesses,  arm  in  arm,  again  appeared 
in  the  halls,  pleasantly  conversing,  and  instantly  the  scene 
was  again  changed,  as  if  by  the  stroke  of  a  magic  wand. 
The  chilling  silence  melted  into  an  agreeable  smile,  and  all 
recovered  their  breaths  and  former  joviality. 

All  was  again  sunshine  and  pleasure,  for  the  princesses 
were  again  there,  and  the  princesses  smiled — must  they  not 
laugh  and  be  beside  themselves  with  joy  ? 

Elizabeth's  tender  glances  sought  her  friend,  the  hand- 
some Alexis  Eazumovsky.  Suddenly  her  brow  was  darkened 
and  her  cheeks  paled,  for  she  saw  him,  and  saw  that  his 
eyes  did  not  seek  hers  ! 

He  stood  leaning  against  a  pillar,  his  eyes  fixed  upon  a 
lady  who  had  just  then  entered  the  hall,  and  whose  wonder- 
ful beauty  had  everywhere  called  forth  a  murmur  of  aston- 
ishment and  admiration.  This  lady  was  the  Countess  La- 
puschkin,  the  wife  of  the  commissary- general  of  marine, 
from  whose  family  came  the  first  wife  of  Czar  Peter  the 
Great,  the  beautiful  Eudoxia  Lapuschkin. 

Eleonore  Lapuschkin  was  more  beautiful  than  Eudoxia. 
An  infinite  magic  of  youth  and  loveliness,  of  purity  and  ener- 
gy, was  shed  over  her  regular  features.  She  had  the  traits  of 
a  Hebe,  and  the  form  of  a  Juno.  When  she  smiled  and  dis- 
played her  dazzlingly  white  teeth,  she  was  irresistibly  charm- 
ing. When,  in  a  serious  mood,  she  raised  her  large  dark 
eyes,  full  of  nobleness  and  spirit,  then  might  people  fall  at 
her  feet  with  adoration.  Countess  Lapuschkin  had  often 
been  compared  and  equalled  to  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  and 


THE  COURT  BALL.  113 

yet  nothing  could  be  more  dissimilar  or  incomparable  than 
these  two  beauties.  Elizabeth's  was  wholly  earthly,  voluptu- 
ous, glowing  with  youth  and  love,  but  Eleonore's  was  chaste 
and  sublime,  pure  and  maidenly.  Elizabeth  allured  to  love, 
Eleonore  to  adoration. 

The  princess  had  long  hated  the  young  Countess  Eleo- 
nore Lapuschkin,  and  considered  her  as  a  rival ;  but  that 
this  rival  should  now  gain  an  interest  in  the  heart  of  her 
favorite,  that  filled  Elizabeth's  soul  with  anger  and  agita- 
tion, that  caused  her  eyes  to  flash  and  her  blood  to  boil. 

Staringly  as  Alexis  Kazumovsky's  eyes  were  fixed  upon 
the  countess,  she,  unconscious  of  this  double  observation, 
stood  cheerful  and  unembarrassed  in  the  circle  of  her  ad- 
miring friends  and  adorers. 

Anna  Leopoldowna  followed  the  glance  of  the  princess, 
and,  observing  the  beautiful  Lapuschkin,  said,  without 
thinking  of  Elizabeth's  very  susceptible  vanity : 

"  Leonore  Lapuschkin  is  an  admirably  beautiful  woman, 
is  she  not  ?  I  never  saw  a  handsomer  one.  To  look  at  her 
is  like  a  morning  dream ;  her  appearance  diffuses  light  and 
splendor.     Do  you  not  find  it  so,  Elizabeth  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  find  it  so,"  said  Elizabeth,  with  a  constrained 
smile.     "  She  is  the  handsomest  woman  in  your  realm." 

"Yourself  excepted,  Elizabeth,"  kindly  subjoined  the 
regent, 

"  Oh,  no,  she  is  handsomer  than  I ! "  murmured  Eliza- 
beth. 

Poor  Leonore !  In  this  moment  hath  the  princess  pro- 
nounced your  sentence  of  condemnation,  and  in  her  heart 
subscribed  the  stern  order  for  your  execution. 


114  THE  DAU(?HTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

A  longer  view  of  this  triumph  of  the  countess  became 
insufferable ;  alleging  a  sudden  attack  of  illness,  she  im- 
mediately took  leave  of  the  regent,  and  ordered  her  car- 
riage. 

Tears  of  anger  and  love  stood  in  her  eyes  as  Razumovsky 
approached  to  aid  her  in  entering  it.  Hurling  away  his 
hand,  she  entered  the  carriage  without  assistance. 

"  And  may  I  not  accompany  you  in  the  carriage  as 
usual  ?  "  asked  Alexis,  with  tenderness  in  his  tone. 

"  No,"  she  curtly  said,  "  go  back  into  the  hall,  and  again 
admire  the  handsomest  woman  in  the  empire ! " 

Then,  jealousy  getting  the  better  of  anger,  she  beck- 
oned to  Alexis,  who  was  about  departing  in  sadness,  and 
commanded  him  to  enter  the  carriage  without  delay. 

As  soon  as  the  carriage  door  was  closed,  with  an  angry 
movement  she  seized  both  of  Razumovsky's  hands. 

"  Look  at  me,"  said  she — "  look  me  directly  in  the  eye, 
and  then  tell  me,  is  Eleonore  Lapuschkin  handsomer 
than  I?" 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   PENCIL-SKETCH. 

It  was  the  day  after  the  court  ball.  Princess  Elizabeth 
was  in  her  dressing-room,  and  occupied  in  enveloping  her- 
self in  a  very  charming  and  seductive  neglige.  She  was  to- 
day in  very  good  humor,  very  happy  and  free  from  care,  for 
Alexis  Razumovsky  had,  with  the  most  solemn  asseverations, 
assured  her  of  his  truth  and  devotion,  and  Elizabeth  had 


THE  PENCIL-SKETCH.  115 

been  soothed  and  reconciled  by  his  glowing  language.  It 
was  for  him  tliat  she  wished  to  appear  especially  attractive 
to-day,  that  Alexis,  by  the  sight  of  her,  might  be  made 
utterly  to  forget  the  Countess  Eleonore  Lapuschkin.  In 
these  coquettish  efforts  of  her  vanity  she  had  utterly  for- 
gotten all  the  plans  and  projects  of  her  friends  and  ad- 
herents ;  she  thought  no  more  of  becoming  empress,  but  she 
would  be  the  queen  of  beauty,  and  in  that  realm  she  would 
reign  alone  with  an  absolute  sway. 

A  servant  announced  Lestocq. 

A  cloud  of  displeasure  lowered  on  the  brow  of  the  prin- 
cess. Startled  from  her  sweet  dreams  by  this  name,  she 
now  for  the  first  time  recollected  the  fatal  conversation  she 
had  had  on  the  previous  evening  with  the  regent.  In  her 
love  and  jealousy  she  had  totally  forgotten  the  occurrence, 
but  now  that  she  was  reminded  of  it,  she  felt  her  head  throb 
with  anxiety  and  terror. 

Dismissing  her  attendants  with  an  imperious  nod,  she 
hastened  to  meet  the  entering  physician. 

"  Lestocq,"  said  she,  "  it  is  well  you  have  come  at  this 
moment,  else,  perhaps,  I  might  have  forgotten  to  say  to  you 
that  it  is  all  over  with  the  conjuration  spun  and  woven  by 
you  and  the  French  marquis.  We  must  give  it  up,  for  the 
affair  is  more  dangerous  than  you  think  it,  and  I  may  say 
that  you  have  reason  to  be  thankful  to  me  for  having,  by 
my  foresight  and  intrepidity,  saved  you  from  the  torture, 
and  a  possible  transportation  to  Siberia.  Ah,  it  is  very  cold 
in  Siberia,  my  dear  Lestocq,  and  you  will  do  well  silently 
and  discreetly  to  build  a  warm  nest  here,  instead  of  invent- 
ing ambitious  projects  dangerous  to  all  of  us." 


116  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  And  whence  do  you  foresee  danger,  princess  ?  "  asked 
Lestocq. 

"  The  regent  knows  all !  She  knows  our  plans  and  com- 
binations. In  a  word,  she  knows  that  we  conspire,  and  that 
you  are  the  principal  agent  in  this  conspiracy." 

*'  Then  I  am  lost ! "  sighed  Lestocq,  gliding  down  upon 
a  chair. 

"  No,  not  quite,"  said  Elizabeth,  with  a  smile,  "  for  I 
have  saved  you.  Ah,  I  should  never  have  believed  that  the 
playing  of  comedy  was  so  easy,  but  I  tell  you  I  have  played 
one  in  a  masterly  manner.  Fear  was  my  teacher ;  it  taught 
me  to  appear  so  innocent,  to  implore  so  affectingly,  that 
Anna  herself  was  touched.  Ah,  and  I  wept  whole  streams 
of  tears,  I  tell  you.  That  quite  disarmed  the  regent.  But 
you  must  bear  the  blame  if  my  eyes  to-day  are  yet  red  with 
weeping,  and  not  so  brilliant  as  usual." 

And  Princess  Elizabeth  ran  to  the  toilet-table  to  examine 
critically  her  face  in  the  glass. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  she  cried,  with  a  sort  of  terror,  "  it  is  as 
I  feared.  My  eyes  are  quite  dull.  Lestocq,  you  must  give 
me  a  means,  a  quick  and  sure  means,  to  restore  their  bright- 
ness." 

Thus  speaking,  Elizabeth  looked  constantly  in  the  glass, 
full  of  care  and  anxiety  about  her  eyes. 

"  I  shall  appear  less  beautiful  to  him  to-day,"  she  mur- 
mured ;  "  he  will,  in  thought,  compare  me  with  Eleonore 
Lapuschkin,  and  find  her  handsomer  than  I.  Lestocq, 
Lestocq  !  "  she  then  called  aloud,  impatiently  stamping  with 
her  little  foot,  "  I  tell  you  that  you  must  immediately  pre- 
scribe a  remedy  that  will  restore  the  brilliancy  of  my  eyes." 


THE  PENCIL-SKETCH.  117 

"  Princess,"  said  Lestocq,  with  solemnity,  "  I  beseech  you 
for  a  moment  to  forget  your  incomparable  beauty  and  the 
unequalled  brilliancy  of  your  eyes.  Be  not  only  a  woman, 
but  be,  as  you  can,  the  great  czar's  great  daughter.  Prin- 
cess, the  question  here  is  not  only  of  the  diminished  bril- 
liancy of  your  eyes,  but  of  a  real  danger  with  which  you  are 
threatened.  Be  merciful,  be  gracious,  and  relate  to  me 
the  exact  words  of  your  yesterday's  conversation  with  the 
regent." 

The  princess  looked  up  from  her  mirror,  and  turned  her 
head  toward  Lestocq. 

"  Ah,  I  forgot,"  she  carelessly  said,  "  you  are  not  merely 
my  physician,  but  also  a  revolutionist,  and  that  is  of  much 
greater  importance  to  you." 

"  The  question  is  of  your  head,  princess,  and  as  a  true 
physician  I  would  help  you  to  preserve  it.  Therefore,  dear- 
est princess,  I  beseech  you,  repeat  to  me  that  conversation 
with  the  regent." 

"  Will  you  then  immediately  give  me  a  recipe  for  my 
eyes?" 

«  Yes,  I  will:" 

"  Well,  listen,  then." 

And  the  princess  repeated,  word  for  word,  to  the  breath- 
less Lestocq,  her  conversation  with  Anna  Leopoldowna. 
Lestocq  listened  to  her  with  most  intense  interest,  taking  a 
piece  of  paper  from  the  table  and  mechanically  writing 
some  unmeaning  lines  upon  it  with  an  appearance  of  heed- 
lessness. Perhaps  it  was  this  mechanical  occupation  that 
enabled  him  to  remain  so  calm  and  circumspect.  During 
the  narration  of  the  princess  his  features  again  assumed 


118  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

their  expression  of  firmness  and  determination;  his  eyes 
again  flashed,  and  around  his  mouth  played  a  saucy,  scorn- 
ful smile,  such  as  was  usually  seen  there  when,  conscious  of 
his  superiority,  he  had  formed  a  bold  resolution. 

"  This  good  regent  has  executed  a  stroke  of  policy  for 
which  Ostermann  will  never  forgive  her,"  said  he,  after  the 
princess  had  finished  her  narration.  "  She  should  have  kept 
silence  and  appeared  unconstrained — then  we  should  have 
been  lost ;  but  now  it  is  she.^^ 

"  No,"  exclaimed  the  princess,  with  generous  emotion, 
"  the  regent  has  chosen  precisely  the  best  means  for  disarm- 
ing us !  She  has  manifested  a  noble  confidence  in  me,  she 
has  discredited  the  whisperings  of  her  minister  and  counsel- 
lors, and  instead  of  destroying  me,  as  she  could  have  done, 
she  has  warned  me  with  the  kindness  and  affection  of  a 
sister.  I  shall  never  forget  that,  Lestocq ;  I  shall  ever  be 
grateful  for  that !  Henceforth  the  Regent  or  Empress  Anna 
Leopoldowna  shall  have  no  truer  or  more  obedient  subject 
than  I,  the  Princess  Elizabeth  ! " 

"  By  this  you  would  not  say,  princess — " 

"  By  this  I  mean  to  say,"  interposed  Elizabeth,  "  that 
this  conspiracy  is  brought  to  a  bloodless  conclusion,  and 
that,  from  this  hour,  there  is  but  one  woman  in  this  great 
Russian  realm  who  has  any  claim  to  the  title  of  empress, 
and  that  woman  is  the  Regent  Anna  Leopoldowna  ! " 

"  You  will  therefore  renounce  your  sacred  and  well- 
grounded  claims  to  the  imperial  throne  ?  "  asked  Lestocq, 
continuing  his  scribbling. 

"Yes,  that  will  I,"  responded  Elizabeth.  "I  will  no 
longer  be  plagued  with  your  plans  and  machinations — I 


THE  PENCIL-SKETCH.  119 

will  have  repose.  In  the  interior  of  my  palace  I  will  be 
empress ;  there  will  I  establish  a  realm,  a  realm  of  peace 
and  enjoyable  happiness ;  there  will  I  erect  the  temple  of 
love,  and  consecrate  myself  as  its  priestess !  No,  speak  no 
more  of  revolutions  and  conspiracies.  I  am  not  made  to  sit 
upon  a  throne  as  the  feared  and  thundering  goddess  of  cow- 
ardly slaves,  causing  millions  to  tremble  at  every  word  and 
glance !  I  will  not  be  empress,  not  the  bugbear  of  a  quak- 
ing, kneeling  people  ;  I  will  be  a  woman,  who  has  nothing 
to  do  with  the  business  and  drudgery  of  men ;  I  will  not  be 
plagued  with  labor  and  care,  but  will  enjoy  and  rejoice  in 
my  existence ! " 

"  For  that  you  will  be  allowed  no  time  ! "  said  Lestocq, 
with  solemnity.  "When  you  give  up  your  plans  and  re- 
nounce your  rights,  then,  princess,  it  will  be  all  over  with 
the  days  of  enjoyment  and  happiness.  It  will  then  no 
longer  be  permitted  you  to  convert  your  palace  into  a  tem- 
ple of  pleasure,  and  thenceforth  you  will  be  known  only 
as  the  priestess  of  misfortune  and  misery  ! " 

"  You  have  again  your  fever-dreams,"  said  Elizabeth, 
smiling.  "  Come,  I  will  awaken  you  !  I  have  told  you  my 
story ;  it  is  now  for  you  to  give  me  a  recipe  for  my  in- 
flamed eyes." 

"  Here  it  is,"  earnestly  answered  Lestocq,  handing  to 
the  princess  the  paper  upon  which  he  had  been  scribbling. 

Elizabeth  took  it  and  at  first  regarded  it  with  smiling 
curiosity ;  but  her  features  gradually  assumed  a  more  seri- 
ous and  even  terrified  expression,  and  the  roses  faded  from 
her  cheeks. 

"  You  call  this  a  recipe  for  eyes  reddened  with  weep- 


120      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ing,"  said  she,  with  a  shudder,  "  and  yet  it  presents  two 
pictures  which  make  my  hair  bristle  with  terror,  and  might 
cause  one  to  weep  himself  blind  ! " 

"  They  represent  our  future ! "  said  Lestocq,  with  de- 
cision. "  You  see  that  man  bound  upon  the  wheel — that  is 
myself !  Now  look  at  the  second.  This  young  woman 
who  is  wringing  her  hands,  and  whose  head  one  of  these 
nuns  is  shearing,  while  the  other  is  endeavoring,  in  spite 
of  her  struggling  resistance,  to  envelop  her  in  the  black 
veil ; — that  is  you,  princess.  For  you  the  cloister,  for  me 
the  wheel !  That  will  be  our  future.  Princess  Elizabeth,  if 
you  now  hesitate  in  your  forward  march  in  the  path  upon 
which  you  have  once  entered." 

"  And  to  persevere  in  this  conspiracy  is  to  give  ourselves 
up  to  certain  destruction,  for  doubt  not  they  will  be  able  to 
convict  us.  Among  Griinstein's  enlisted  friends  there  are 
drunkards  enough  who  would  betray  you  for  a  flask  of 
brandy !  Princess  Elizabeth,  would  you  be  a  nun  or  an 
empress  ?  Choose  between  these  two  destinations.  There 
is  no  middle  course." 

"  Then  I  would  be  an  empress !  "  said  Elizabeth,  with 
flashing  eyes,  trembling  with  anxiety  and  excitement,  and 
still  examining  the  two  drawings.  "  Ah,  you  are  an  accom- 
plished artist,  Lestocq,  you  have  designed  this  picture  with 
a  horrible  truth  of  resemblance.  How  I  stand  there !  how 
I  wring  my  hands,  the  pale  lips  opened  for  a  cry  of  terror, 
and  yet  silenced  by  a  view  of  those  dreadful  shears  before 
whose  deadly  operations  my  hair  falls  to  the  earth,  and 
that  veil  entombs  me  while  yet  living ! " 

And  casting  away  the  drawings,  the  princess  trod  them 


THE  PENCIL-SKETCH.  121 

under  foot,  declaring  in  a  loud  and  imperious  tone : 
"  These  drawings  are  false,  Lestocq,  and  that  will  I  prove 
to  you — I,  the  Empress  Elizabeth  ! " 

"  All  hail,  my  empress ! "  cried  Lestocq,  throwing  him- 
self at  her  feet  and  kissing  the  hem  of  her  robe  ;  "  blessings 
upon  you,  for  you  have  now  rescued  me  from  the  hands  of 
the  executioner!  You  have  saved  my  life,  in  return  for 
which  I  will  this  day  place  an  imperial  crown  upon  your 
heavenly  brows,"  * 

"  This  day  ?  "  asked  Elizabeth,  with  a  shudder. 

"  Yes,  it  must  be  done  this  very  night !  We  must  im^ 
prove  the  moment,  for  only  the  moment  is  ours.  Every 
hour  of  delay  but  brings  us  nearer  to  our  destruction. 
Yet  one  night  of  hesitation,  and  they  will  already  have 
rendered  our  success  impossible.  Ah,  the  Regent  Anna  has 
sworn  to  believe  only  you,  and  never  to  doubt  you,  and  yet 
she  has  ordered  three  battalions  of  the  guards  to  march 
early  in  the  morning  to  join  the  army  in  Viborg.  Our 
friends  and  confidants  are  in  these  three  battalions.  Judge, 
then,  how  very  much  Anna  Leopoldowna  confides  in  you  ! " 

"  Ah,  if  it  be  really  so,"  said  Elizabeth,  "  then  can  I  no 
longer  have  any  regard  for  her.  Anna  will  remove  my 
friends  from  here,  and  that  is  a  betrayal  of  the  friendship 
she  has  sworn  tor  me.  I  have  therefore  no  further  obliga- 
tions toward  her !  I  am  free  to  act  as  I  think  best.  Le- 
stocq, I  will  be  no  nun,  but  an  empress !  You  now  have 
my  word,  and  are  at  liberty  to  make  all  necessary  arrange- 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  227. — "  Voyage  en  Siberie,  par  I'Abbe  Chappe 
d'Auteroche,"  vol.  i.,  p.  184. 
9 


122  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ments.  If  it  must  be  done,  let  it  be  done  quickly  and 
unhesitatingly.  I  have  yet  to-day  the  courage  to  dare  any 
enormity,  therefore  let  us  utilize  this  day !  " 

"  Expect  me  to-night  at  twelve  o'clock ! "  said  Lestocq, 
rising;  "I  will  then  be  here  to  bring  you  the  imperial 
crown." 

This  firm  confidence  made  Elizabeth  tremble  again. 
Until  now  all  had  seemed  like  a  dream,  a  play  of  the  imagi- 
nation ;  but  when  she  read  in  Lestocq's  bold  and  resolved 
features  that  it  was  a  reality,  she  shook  with  terror,  and  an 
anxious  fear  overpowered  her  soul. 

"  And  if  it  miscarry  ?  "  said  she,  thoughtfully. 

"  It  will  not  and  cannot  miscarry ! "  responded  Le- 
stocq. "The  right  is  on  your  side,  and  God  will  watch 
over  the  daughter  of  the  great  czar." 

"  And  then,  when  I  am  really  empress,"  said  Elizabeth, 
thoughtfully,  to  herself,  "  what  then  ?  There  is  no  happi- 
ness in  it !  They  will  give  me  another  title,  they  will  place 
a  crown  upon  my  head,  and  bind  me  to  a  throne.  I  shall 
be  no  longer  free  to  act  according  to  my  will,  to  live  as  I 
would.  Thousands  of  spies  will  lurk  around  me.  Thou- 
sands of  eyes  will  follow  my  steps,  thousands  of  ears  will 
listen  for  my  every  word,  in  order  to  interpret  and  attach 
a  secret  meaning  to  it !  They  will  call  me  an  empress,  but 
I  shall  be  a  slave  bound  with  golden  fetters,  upon  whose 
head  sits  a  golden  crown  of  thorns.  And  this  toil  and 
weariness !  These  tiresome  sittings  of  the  ministers,  this 
law-making  and  the  signing  of  orders  and  commands! 
How  horrible ! — Lestocq,"  suddenly  cried  the  princess, 
aloud,  "  if  I  must  always  labor,  and  make  laws,  and  sub- 


THE  PENCIL-SKETCH.  123 

scribe  my  name,  and  command  and  govern,  then  I  will  be 
no  empress,  no,  never ! " 

"  You  shall  be  empress  only  to  enjoy  life  in  its  highest 
splendor.  We,  your  servants  and  slaves,  we  will  work  and 
govern  for  you ! "  said  Lestocq. 

"  Swear  that  to  me  !  Swear  to  me  that  I  shall  not  be 
constrained  to  labor,  swear  that  you  will  govern  for  me, 
that  I  may  devote  my  time  to  the  enjoyment  of  life !  " 

"  I  swear  it  to  you  by  all  that  is  most  sacred  to  me." 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  be  your  empress  !  "  said  Elizabeth, 
satisfied. 

At  this  moment  a  secret  door  opened  and  gave  admission 
to  Alexis  Razumovsky. 

By  his  entrance  Elizabeth  was  reminded  of  her  inflamed 
eyes,  and  of  the  fair  Countess  Eleanore  Lapuschkin. 

She  gave  Alexis  a  searching,  scrutinizing  glance,  and  it 
seemed  to  her  that  he  appeared  less  tender  and  ardent  than 
usual. 

"  Oh,"  she  proudly  said,  motioning  her  favorite  to  ap- 
proach her  and  lightly  kissing  him  upon  the  forehead,  "  oh, 
I  will  yet  compel  you  to  adore  me.  When  an  imperial  crown 
encircles  my  brow,  then  will  you  be  obliged  to  confess  that 
I  am  the  fairest  of  women  !  Alexis,  on  this  night  shall  I 
become  an  empress  !  "  , 

With  a  cry  of  joy  Alexis  sank  to  her  feet. 

"  Hail  to  my  adored  empress  !  "  he  exclaimed,  with  en- 
thusiasm.    "  Hail  Elizabeth,  the  fairest  of  all  women  !  " 

"  With  the  exception  of  the  beautiful  Countess  Lapusch- 
kin !  "  said  Elizabeth,  with  a  bitter  smile — "  ah,  when  I  am 
impress,  I  shall  at  least  have  the  power  to  render  that 


124  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

woman  harmless,  and  to  annihilate  her ! — You  turn  pale, 
Alexis,"  she  continued  with  more  vehemence — "  your  hand 
trembles  in  mine  !  You  must  therefore  love  her  very  much, 
this  exalted  queen  of  godlike  beauty  ?  Ah,  I  shall  know 
how  to  punish  her  for  it !  " 

"  Princess  !  "  reproachfully  exclaimed  Alexis — "  Eliza- 
beth, you,  my  august  and  gentle  empress,  you  will  not  sacri- 
fice an  innocent  woman  to  a  momentary  jealous  vagary  !  " 

"  Ah,  he  ventures  to  intercede  for  her ! "  cried  Eliza- 
beth, with  a  hoarse  laugh,  and,  turning  to  Lestocq,  she  con- 
tinued, with  anger-flashing  eyes :  "  Lestocq,  I  have  yet  a 
condition  to  make  before  consenting  to  become  an  em- 
press." 

"  Name  your  condition,  princess,  and  if  it  be  within  the 
compass  of  human  power  it  shall  be  fulfilled." 

Casting  an  angry  glance  at  Razumovsky,  Elizabeth  said, 
with  a  sinister  smile: 

"  Swear  to  me,  by  all  you  hold  most  sacred,  to  find  some 
fault  in  this  Countess  Lapuschkin  which  shall  give  me  the 
right  to  condemn  her  to  death  !  " 

"  I  swear  it  by  all  I  hold  most  sacred,"  solemnly  respond- 
ed Lestocq. 

"  And  you  will  do  well  in  that ! "  exclaimed  Alexis. 
"  For  when  a  crime  rests  upon  her,  and  she,  only  with  a 
word  or  look,  offends  against  my  fair  and  noble  empress, 
she  will  deserve  such  condemnation." 

"You  will,  then,  defend  her  no  longer?"  asked  the 
somewhat  appeased  princess,  bending  down  to  her  kneeling 
lover. 

"  What  is  Countess  Lapuschkin  to  me  ?  "  tenderly  re- 


THE   PENCIL-SKETCH.  125 

sponded  Alexis.  "  For  me  there  is  but  one  woman,  one 
empress,  and  one  beauty,  and  that  is  Elizabeth  !  " 

The  princess  smiled  with  satisfaction.  "  Lestocq,"  said 
she,  "  this  time  I  keep  my  word.  I  am  ready  to  dare  all,  in 
order  to  place  the  imperial  crown  upon  my  head.  I  must 
and  will  be  empress,  that  I  may  have  the  power  to  reward 
you  all,  and  to  raise  you,  my  Alexis,  to  me  !  " 

And  drawing  the  handsome  Alexis  up  to  herself,  she 
gave  him  her  hand  to  kiss. 

"  I  now  go  to  make  all  necessary  preparations,"  said  Le- 
stocq. "  At  midnight  I  will  come  for  you.  Be  ready  at  that 
time,  Elizabeth  ! " 

"  I  will  then  be  ready !  "  said  Princess  Elizabeth,  nod- 
ding a  farewell  to  Lestocq. 

"  At  midnight ! "  she  then  thoughtfully  continued. 
"  Well,  we  have  twelve  hours  until  then,  which  will  suffice 
for  the  invention  of  a  suitable  toilet.  Alexis,  tell  me  what 
sort  of  dress  I  shall  wear.  What  color  best  becomes  me  and 
in  what  shall  I  best  please  the  soldiers  ?  The  toilet,  my 
Alexis,  is  often  decisive  in  such  cases ;  an  unsuitable  cos- 
tume might  cause  me  to  displease  the  conspirators,  and  lead 
them  to  give  up  the  enterprise.  You  must  aid  me,  Alexis, 
in  choosing  a  costume.  Come,  let  us  repair  to  the  ward- 
robe, and  call  my  women.  I  will  try  on  all  my  dresses,  one 
after  the  other  ;  then  you  shall  decide  which  is  most  becom- 
ing, and  that  will  we  choose." 

The  princess  and  her  lover  betook  themselves  to  the 
wardrobe,  and  called  her  women  to  assist  in  selecting  a 
suitable  revolution-toilet. 


126  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   KEVOLUTION. 

Night  had  come.  The  lights  in  palaces  and  houses  were 
gradually  extinguished.  St.  Petersburg  began  to  sleep,  or 
at  least  to  give  itself  the  appearance  of  sleeping.  The  re- 
gent, Anna  Leopoldowna,  also,  had  already  dismissed  her 
household  and  withdrawn  into  her  private  apartments. 

It  was  a  fine  starlight  night.  Anna  leaned  upon  the 
window-frame,  thoughtfully  and  dreamily  glancing  up  at 
the  heavens.  Her  eyes  gradually  filled  with  tears,  which 
slowly  rolled  down  over  her  cheeks  and  fell  upon  her  hands. 
She  was  startled  by  the  falling  of  these  warm,  glowing  drops. 
She  had  been  unconscious  of  her  weeping,  as  her  thoughts 
had  diverted  her  attention  from  her  tears.  She  was  think- 
ing of  Lynar,  of  the  distant,  warmly-desired  one,  to  whom 
she  would  gladly  have  devoted  her  whole  existence,  but  to 
whom  she  could  belong  only  through  falsehood.  She 
thought  it  would  be  nobler  and  greater  to  renounce  him, 
that  her  love  might  be  consecrated  by  her  abnegation,  while 
actually  devoting  her  life  to  the  duties  enjoined  by  the 
laws  and  the  Church.  But  these  thoughts  filled  her  bosom 
with  a  nameless  sorrow,  and  it  was  involuntarily  that  she 
wept. 

"  No,"  she  murmured  low,  "  I  cannot  make  this  sacri- 
fice ;  I  cannot  make  an  offering  of  my  love  to  my  virtue ;  for 
this  bugbear  of  a  compulsory  marriage  I  cannot  give  up  a 
love  which  God  Himself  has  inspired  in  my  heart.  Then 
let  it  be  so  !    Let  the  world  judge  and  the  priests  condemn 


THE  REVOLUTION.  127 

me.  I  will  not  sacrifice  my  love  to  a  prejudice.  I  know 
that  this  is  sinful,  but  God  will  have  compassion  on  the  sin- 
ner who  has  no  other  happiness  on  earth  than  this  only  one 
— a  love  that  controls  her  whc^le  being.  And  if  this  sin 
must  be  punished,  oh,  my  Maker,  I  pray  you  to  pardon  him, 
and  let  the  punishment  fall  on  me  alone  !  " 

Thus  speaking,  she  raised  her  arms  and  directed  her 
eyes  toward  the  heavens  in  fervent  prayer.  Suddenly  a 
brilliant  light  flashed  through  the  air — a  star  had  shot 
from  its  sphere,  and,  after  a  short  course,  had  become  ex- 
tinguished. 

"  That  bodes  misfortune,"  said  Anna,  with  a  shudder, 
her  head  sinking  upon  her  breast. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  loud  knocking  at  her  door, 
and  Prince  Ulrich,  Anna's  husband,  earnestly  demanded  ad- 
mission. 

Anna  hastened  to  open,  asking  with  surprise  the  cause 
of  his  unusual  visit. 

"  Anna,"  said  the  prince,  hastily  entering,  "  I  come  to 
warn  you  once  more.  Again  has  a  warning  letter  been 
mysteriously  conveyed  to  me.  I  have  just  found  it  upon 
my  night-table.  See  for  yourself.  It  implores  us  to  be  on 
our  guard.  It  informs  us  that  we  are  threatened  with  a 
frightful  danger,  that  Elizabeth  conspires,  and  that  we  are 
lost  if  we  do  not  instantly  take  preventive  measures." 

Anna  read  the  warning  letter,  and  then  smilingly  gave 
it  back  to  her  husband. 

"  Always  the  same  old  song,  the  same  croaking  of  the 
toad,"  said  she.  "  Count  Ostermann  has  taken  it  into  his 
head  that  Elizabeth  is  conspiring,  and  doubtless  all  these 


128  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

warning  letters  come  from  him.  Eead  them  no  more  in 
future,  my  husband,  and  now  let  us  retire  to  rest." 

"  And  what  if  it  were,  nevertheless,  true,"  said  the  prince, 
pressingly — "  if  we  are  really  threatened  with  a  great  dan- 
ger ?  A  word  from  you  can  turn  it  away.  Let  us,  there- 
fore, be  careful !  Kemember  your  son,  Anna — his  life  is 
also  threatened  !  Protect  him,  mother  of  an  emperor ! 
Allow  me,  the  generalissimo  of  your  forces,  to  take  meas- 
ures of  precaution  !  Let  me  establish  patrols,  and  cause  a 
regiment,  for  whose  fidelity  I  can  be  answerable,  to  guard 
the  entrances  of  the  palace  ! " 

Anna  smilingly  shook  her  head.  "  No,"  said  she,  "  noth- 
ing of  all  that  shall  be  done  !  Such  precautions  manifest 
suspicion,  and  would  wound  the  feelings  of  this  good  Eliza- 
beth. She  is  innocent,  believe  me.  I  yesterday  sharply 
observed  her,  and  she  came  out  from  the  trial  pure.  It 
would  be  ignoble  to  distrust  her  now.  Moreover,  she  has 
my  princely  word  that  I  will  always  listen  only  to  herself, 
and  believe  no  one  but  her.  In  the  morning  I  will  go  to 
her  and  show  her  this  letter,  that  she  may  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  justify  herself." 

"  You  therefore  consider  her  wholly  innocent  ?  "  asked 
the  prince,  with  a  sigh. 

"  Yes,  perfectly  innocent.  Her  firm  demeanor,  her  as- 
severations, her  tears,  have  convinced  me  that  it  was  unjust 
in  us  to  believe  the  hateful  rumors  they  had  spread  concern- 
ing her.*  Let  us  therefore  retire  in  peace  and  quiet.  No 
danger  threatens  us  from  Elizabeth  ! " 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  227. 


THE  REVOLUTION.  J29 

There  was  something  convincing  and  tranquillizing  in 
Anna's  immovable  conviction  ;  the  prince  felt  his  inability 
to  oppose  her,  and  was  ashamed  of  his  feminine  fears  in  the 
face  of  her  masculine  intrepidity. 

With  a  sigh  he  took  his  leave  and  returned  to  his  own 
room.     At  the  door  he  turned  once  again. 

"  Anna,"  said  he,  with  solemnity,  "  you  have  decided 
upon  our  destiny,  and  God  grant  that  it  may  all  eventuate 
happily  !  But  should  it  be  otherwise,  should  the  monstrous 
and  terrible  break  in  upon  you,  then,  at  least,  remember 
this  hour,  in  which  I  warned  you,  and  confess  that  I  am 
free  from  all  blame  !  " 

Without  awaiting  an  answer,  with  a  drooping  head  and 
deep  sigh,  the  prince  left  the  room. 

Anna  looked  after  him  with  a  compassionate  smile. 

"  Poor  prince  !  "  she  murmured  low,  "  he  is  always  so 
timid  and  trembling ;  that  indicates  unhappiness !  He 
loves  me,  and  I  cannot  force  my  heart  to  return  the  feel- 
ing. Poor  prince,  it  must  be  very  sad  to  love  and  be  un- 
loved ! " 

With  a  sigh  she  closed  the  door  through  which  her  hus- 
band had  passed. 

"  I  will  now  sleep,"  said  she.  "  Yes,  sleep !  Possibly 
Heaven  may  send  me  a  pleasant  dream,  and  I  may  see  my 
Lynar !  But  no,  I  must  first  go  to  Ivan,  to  ascertain 
whether  his  slumber  is  tranquil." 

With  hasty  steps  she  repaired  to  the  adjacent  chamber, 
which  was  that  of  the  young  emperor. 

There  all  was  still.  Before  the  door  opening  upon  the 
corridor  she  heard  the  regular  step  of  the  soldier  on  guard. 


130  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

The  waiters  upon  the  emperor  were  slumbering  upon  mat- 
tresses around  him.  It  was  a  picture  of  profound  tran- 
quillity. 

With  light  steps  Anna  approached  the  cradle  of  her 
son,  and,  bending  down  over  him,  regarded  him  with  ten- 
der maternal  glances,  while  his  still  and  peaceful  slumber 
seemed  to  touch  her  heart  with  a  sweet  emotion. 

"  Sleep,  my  dear  child,  my  charming  little  emperor,"  she 
murmured — "  sleep,  and  in  your  dreams  may  you  play  with 
angels  as  beautiful  as  yourself  !  " 

Bending  again  over  the  cradle,  she  breathed  a  light  kiss 
upon  the  rosy  lips  of  her  child,  and  then  noiselessly  returned 
to  her  own  chamber, 

"  And  now,"  said  she,  drawing  a  long  breath,  "  now  will 
I,  also,  sleep  and  dream  !  Good-night,  my  beloved  ;  good- 
night, Lynar !  " 

With  a  happy  smile  she  reclined  upon  her  couch,  and 
soon  slumbered. 

At  this  moment  the  clock  in  the  next  chamber  struck 
the  twelfth  hour.  Slowly  and  solemnly  resounded  the  tones 
of  the  striking  clocks  that  announced  the  midnight. 

At  this  same  hour  a  lively  movement  commenced  in  the 
palace  of  the  Princess  Elizabeth.  Lights  were  seen  glan- 
cing from  window  to  window,  hurrying  shadows  were  seen 
coming  and  going  in  the  rooms,  every  thing  there  an- 
nounced an  activity  unusual  for  the  hour,  and  certainly  it 
was  a  signal  good  fortune  for  Elizabeth  that  Anna  had  for- 
bidden her  husband's  sending  a  patrol  through  the  streets. 
One  single  patrol  passing  the  palace  might  have  frustrated 
the  whole  conspiracy  I 


THE  REVOLUTION.  131 

But  the  streets  were  perfectly  quiet;  nowhere  was  a 
sentinel  or  watchman  to  be  seen. 

The  slight  creaking  and  whizzing  of  a  sledge  upon  the 
crackling  snow  was  now  heard ;  it  came  nearer  and  nearer, 
and  then  there  was  a  knocking  at  the  palace  gate.  The 
porter  opened,  and  two  sledges  drove  into  the  court. 

The  first,  with  a  rich  covering  and  magnificent  orna- 
ments, was  empty.  But  Lestocq  was  seen  to  spring  out  of 
the  second,  and  hurriedly  enter  the  palace. 

Elizabeth,  splendidly  dressed,  sparkling  with  brilliants, 
was  waiting  in  her  small  reception-room.  No  one  but 
Alexis  Razumovsky  was  with  her.  Neither  of  them  spoke, 
and  their  visages  plainly  discovered  that  they  were  in  a 
state  of  painfully  uncomfortable  suspense. 

Elizabeth  was  pale  and  had  a  convulsive  twitching 
about  her  mouth,  her  form  trembled  feverishly,  and  she 
was  obliged  to  cling  to  Razumovsky,  to  prevent  falling. 

"Did  you  hear  the  opening  of  the  court-yard  gate?" 
she  breathed  low.  "  Lestocq  is  not  yet  here,  and  it  is  past 
midnight.  Certainly  he  is  arrested,  all  is  discovered,  and 
we  are  lost !  I  am  fearfully  anxious,  Alexis ;  I  already  seem 
to  feel  the  sword  at  my  throat.  Ah,  hear  you  not  steps  in 
the  corridor?  They  come  this  way.  They  are  my  pur- 
suers. They  come  to  conduct  me  to  the  scaffold !  Save 
me,  Alexis,  save  me ! " 

And  with  a  shrill  cry  of  anguish  the  princess  clung  to 
the  neck  of  her  favorite. 

The  door  was  now  hastily  opened,  and  upon  the  thresh- 
old appeared  Lestocq  and  Woronzow. 

"  Princess  Elizabeth  ! "  exclaimed  Lestocq,  with  solem- 


132      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

nity,  "  I  have  come  for  you.  The  throne  awaits  its  em- 
press ! " 

"  Up,  Princess  Elizabeth,"  said  Alexis,  "  take  courage, 
my  fair  empress,  give  us  an  example  of  spirit  and  resolu- 
tion ! " 

The  princess  slowly  raised  her  pale  face  from  Razumov- 
sky's  shoulder,  and  looking  around  with  timid  glances, 
faintly  said :  "  I  suffer  fearfully !  This  anguish  will  kill 
me  !  My  destiny  is  so  cruel,  I  am  so  tormented.  Why 
must  I  be  an  empress  ?  " 

"  That  you  may  be  no  nun,"  laconically  responded  Le- 
stocq. 

"  And  to  become  the  greatest  and  loftiest  woman  in  the 
world ! "  said  Woronzow.  ' 

"  To  raise  to  your  own  elevation  the  man  you  love," 
whispered  Alexis. 

With  a  glance  of  tenderness,  Elizabeth  nodded  to  him. 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  for  your  sake,  my  Alexis,  I  will  be- 
come an  empress !  Come,  let  us  go.  But  where  is  Grun- 
stein?" 

"With  his  faithful  followers  he  awaits  us  before  the 
casern  of  his  regiment.     We  go  there  first." 

"Then  let  us  go!"  said  Elizabeth,  striding  forward. 
But  she  stopped  on  seeing  that  Alexis  followed  with  the 
other  two. 

"  No,"  said  she,  "  you  must  not  go  with  us,  Alexis.  If  I 
am  to  have  courage  to  act  and  speak,  I  must  know  that  you 
are  not  mingled  in  the  strife — I  must  not  have  to  tremble 
for  your  life !  No,  no,  only  when  I  know  that  you  are  con- 
cealed and  in  safety,  can  I  have  courage  to  struggle  for  an 


THE  REVOLUTION.  133 

imperial  crown.  Promise  me,  therefore,  Alexis,  that  you 
will  quietly  remain  here  until  I  send  a  messenger  for  you  ! " 

Eazumovsky  begged  and  implored  in  vain — in  vain  he 
knelt  before  her,  and  covered  her  hands  with  tears  and 
kisses. 

Elizabeth  remained  inflexible,  and,  as  Alexis  yet  per- 
sisted in  his  prayers,  she  earnestly  and  proudly  said : 
"  Alexis  Razumovsky,  I  command  you  to  remain  here. 
You  will  obey  the  first  command  of  your  empress ! " 

"  I  will  remain,"  sighed  Alexis,  "  and  the  world  will 
point  the  finger  of  scorn  at  me,  calling  me  a  coward  !  " 

"  And  I  will  compel  the  world  to  honor  you  as  a 
king ! "  said  Elizabeth,  with  tenderness,  beckoning  to  Le- 
stocq  and  Woronzow  to  follow  her  from  the  room. 

Silently  they  hastened  down  the  stairs — silently  was 
Elizabeth  handed  into  her  sledge,  while  Lestocq  and  Wo- 
ronzow took  their  places  in  the  second. 

"Forward!"  thundered  Lestocq's  powerful  voice,  and 
the  train  rushed  through  the  dark  and  deserted  streets. 

St.  Petersburg  slept.  No  one  appeared  at  the  darkened 
windows  of  the  silent  palaces,  no  one  boded  that  a  new 
empress  was  passing  through  the  streets, — an  empress,  who 
at  this  time  had  but  two  subjects  in  her  train  ! 

They  had  now  reached  the  casern  of  the  Peobrajensky 
regiment.  There  they  halted.  In  the  open  door  stands 
Griinstein  with  his  thirty  recruits. 

They  silently  approached  the  sledge  of  the  princess  and 
prostrated  themselves  before  her. 

"  Hail  to  our  empress  !  "  whispered  Griinstein  low,  and 
as  low  was  it  repeated  by  the  soldiers. 


134  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Let  us  enter  the  casern,  call  the  soldiers,  and  awaken 
the  officers ;  I  myself  will  address  them ! "  said  Elizabeth, 
alighting  from  her  sledge.  She  was  now  full  of  courage 
and  resolution.  In  the  face  of  danger  now  no  longer  to 
be  avoided,  she  had  suddenly  steeled  her  heart ;  her  father's 
spirit  was  awakened  in  her. 

With  a  firm  step  she  entered  the  casern  ;  the  conspira- 
tors had  already  raised  an  alarm  there,  and  the  suddenly 
aroused  soldiers  rushed  from  all  the  corridors,  with  wonder 
and  admiration  staring  at  this  noble  and  beautiful  woman 
who,  radiant  in  the  splendor  of  her  beauty,  and  sparkling 
with  jewels,  stood  in  their  midst. 

"  Soldiers,"  cried  Elizabeth,  with  a  firm  voice,  "  I  come 
to  implore  your  support  in  my  attempt  to  obtain  justice  in 
the  realm  of  my  father !  I  am  the  daughter  of  the  great 
Emperor  Peter,  the  rightful  heir  to  the  tlirone  of  Russia, 
and  I  claim  what  is  mine  !  I  will  no  longer  suffer  a  Ger- 
man princess  to  give  laws  to  you,  my  beloved  brethren  and 
countrymen !  Follow  me,  therefore,  and  let  us  drive  away 
these  foreign  intruders  who  have  usurped  the  throne  of 
your  lawful  sovereign  ! " 

"  All  hail,  Elizabeth,  our  empress ! "  cried  the  conspira- 
tors, prostrating  themselves. 

Surprised,  beniimbed,  and  overpowered,  the  others  made 
no  opposition.  Miserable  slaves,  they  were  accustomed 
to  obey  whoever  dared  assume  the  command  over  them, 
— and  they  therefore  submitted.  Falling  upon  their  knees, 
they  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  new  empress ! 

Elizabeth  was  now  the  empress  of  three  hundred  soldiers. 

"  Up,  now,  my  friends,  to  the  palace  of  the  czar,  where 


THE  REVOLUTION.  135 

these  usurpers  dwell  and  inflict  upon  you  the  shame  of  call- 
ing a  cradled  infant  your  emperor.  Come,  and  let  us  punish 
them  for  this  insult,  by  thrusting  them  from  their  usurped 
power ! " 

"  We  will  follow  our  empress  in  life  and  death ! "  cried 
the  soldiers. 

They  therefore  started  again,  and  once  more  hastened 
through  the  silent  streets  until,  at  length,  they  reached  the 
imperial  palace,  where  dwelt  the  Emperor  Ivan  with  his 
parents. 

Elizabeth,  with  her  confidential  partisans  in  four  sledges, 
had  hastened  on  in  advance  of  the  others.  With  renewed 
courage  they  approached  the  principal  entrance  of  the 
palace. 

The  guard  took  to  their  arms,  and  the  drummer  was 
preparing  to  beat  an  alarm,  when  a  single  blow  of  Lestocq's 
fist  broke  through  the  skin  of  the  drum. 

The  terrified  drummer  fell,  and  over  his  body  passed  the 
band  of  conspirators,  Elizabeth  at  their  head. 

No  one  ventured  to  oppose  them ;  the  slaves  fell  upon 
their  knees  in  homage  to  her  who  announced  herself  as  their 
mistress  and  empress ! 

Thus  meeting  with  universal  submission  and  obedience, 
they  approached  the  wing  of  the  palace  occupied  by  the 
Emperor  Ivan  and  his  mother  the  regent.  Here  is  stationed 
an  officer  of  the  guard.  He  alone  ventures  defiance  to  the 
intruders.  He  meets  them  with  his  sword  drawn,  and 
swears  to  strike  down  the  first  person  who  attempts  to  enter 
the  corridor. 

"  Unhappy  man,-  what  is  it  you  dare ! "  said  Lestocq, 


136  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

boldly  advancing.  "  You  are  guilty  of  high-treason.  Fall 
upon  your  knees  and  implore  pardon  of  your  empress, 
Elizabeth  ! " 

The  officer  shrank  back  in  terror.  It  was  an  empress 
who  stood  before  him,  and  he  had  dared  to  defy  her ! 

Begging  for  forgiveness  and  mercy,  he  dropped  his  sword 
and  fell  upon  his  knees.*  The  Russian  slave  was  awakened 
in  him,  and  he  bent  before  the  one  who  had  the  power  to 
command. 

Unobstructed,  retained  by  no  one,  Elizabeth  and  her  fol- 
lowers now  strode  through  the  corridor  leading  to  the  private 
apartments  of  the  regent.  Sentinels  were  placed  at  every 
door,  with  strict  commands  to  strike  down  any  one  who 
should  dare  to  oppose  them. 

In  this  manner  they  reached  the  anteroom  of  the  re- 
gent's chamber. 

Elizabeth  had  not  the  courage  to  go  any  farther.  She 
hesitatingly  stopped.  A  deep  shame  and  repentance  came 
over  her  when  she  thought  of  the  noble  confidence  Anna 
had  shown,  and  which  she  was  now  on  the  point  of  repaying 
with  the  blackest  treason. 

Lestocq,  whose  sharp,  observing  glance  constantly  rested 
upon  her,  divined  her  thoughts  and  the  cause  of  her  irreso- 
lution. He  privately  whispered  some  words  to  Grunstein, 
who,  with  thirty  grenadiers,  immediately  approached  the 
door  of  Anna's  sleeping-room. 

With  a  single  push  the  door  was  forced,  and  with  a  wild 

*  "  Voyage  en  Siborie,  par  I'Abbe  Chappe  d'Auteroche,"  vol.  L, 
p.  185. 


THE  REVOLUTION.  137 

cry  the  soldiers  rushed  to  the  couch  upon  which  Anna  Leo- 
poldowna  was  reposing. 

With  a  cry  of  anguish  Anna  springs  up  from  her  slum- 
ber, and  shudderingly  stares  at  the  soldiers  by  whom  she  is 
encompassed,  who,  with  rough  voices,  command  her  to  rise 
and  follow  them.  They  scarcely  give  her  time  to  put  on  a 
robe,  and  encase  her  little  feet  in  shoes. 

But  Anna  has  become  perfectly  calm  and  self-possessed. 
She  knows  she  is  lost,  and,  too  proud  to  weep  or  complain, 
she  finds  in  herself  courage  to  be  tranquil. 

"  I  beg  only  to  be  allowed  to  speak  to  Elizabeth,"  said 
she,  aloud.  "  I  will  do  all  you  command  me.  I  will  follow 
you  wherever  you  wish,  only  let  me  first  see  your  empress, 
Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth,  leaning  against  the  door-post,  had  heard  these 
words ;  yielding  to  an  involuntary  impulse  of  her  heart,  she 
pushed  open  the  door  and  appeared  upon  the  threshold  of 
Anna  Leopoldowna's  chamber. 

On  perceiving  her,  a  faint  smile  passed  over  Anna's 
features. 

"  Ah,  come  you  thus  to  me,  Elizabeth  ? "  she  said,  re- 
proachfully, with  a  proud  glance  at  the  princess. 

Elizabeth  could  not  support  that  glance.  She  cast  down 
her  eyes,  and  again  Anna  Leopoldowna  smiled.  She  was 
conquered,  but  before  her,  blushing  with  shame,  stood  her 
momentarily  subdued  conqueror.  But  Anna  now  remem- 
bered her  son,  and,  folding  her  hands,  she  said,  in  an  im- 
ploring tone : 

"  Elizabeth,  kill  not  my  son !     Have  compassion  upon 

him ! " 

10 


138  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Elizabeth  turned  away  with  a  shudder,  she  felt  her  heart 
rent,  she  had  not  strength  for  an  answer. 

Lestocq  beckoned  the  soldiers,  and  commanded  them  to 
remove  the  traitress,  Anna  Leopoldowna. 

Thirty  warriors  took  possession  of  the  regent,  who  calmly 
and  proudly  submitted  herself  to  them  and  suffered  herself 
to  be  led  away. 

In  the  corridor  they  encountered  another  troop  of  sol- 
diers, who  were  escorting  the  regent's  husband.  Prince  TJl- 
rich  of  Brunswick,  and  Anna's  favorite,  Julia  von  Mengden. 

"Anna!"  sorrowfully  exclaimed  the  prince,  "oh,  had 
you  but  listened  to  my  warning !  Why  did  I  not,  in  spite 
of  your  commands,  what  I  ought  to  have  done  ?  I  alone  am 
to  blame  for  this  sad  misfortune." 

"  It  is  no  one's  fault  but  mine,"  calmly  responded  Anna. 
"  Pardon  me,  my  husband  ;  pardon  me,  Julia." 

And  so  they  descended  to  the  sledges  in  waiting  below. 
They  placed  the  prince  in  one,  and  the  regent,  with  Julia, 
in  the  other. 

"Ah,"  said  Julia,  throwing  her  arms  around  Anna's 
neck,  "  we  shall  at  least  suffer  together." 

Anna  reclined  her  head  upon  her  friend's  shoulder. 

"  God  is  just  and  good,"  said  she.  "  He  punishes  me  for 
my  criminal  love,  and  mercifully  spares  the  object  of  my 
affections.  I  thank  God  for  my  sufferings.  Julia,  should 
you  one  day  be  liberated  and  allowed  to  see  him  again,  then 
bear  to  him  my  warmest  greetings ;  then  tell  him  that  I 
shall  love  him  eternally,  and  that  my  last  sigh  shall  be  a 
prayer  for  his  happiness.  I  shall  never  see  him  again. 
Bear  to  him  my  blessing,  Julia ! " 


THE  SLEEP  OP  INNOCENCE.  I39 

Julia  dissolved  in  tears,  and,  clinging  to  her  friend,  she 
sobbed :  "  No,  no,  they  will  not  dare  to  kill  you." 

"  Then  they  will  condemn  me  to  a  life-long  imprison- 
ment," calmly  responded  Anna. 

"  No,  no,  your  head  is  sacred,  and  so  is  your  freedom. 
They  dare  not  attack  either." 

"Nothing  is  sacred  in  Russia,"  laconically  responded 
Anna. 

The  sledges  stopped  at  the  palace  of  the  Princess  Eliza- 
beth, Hardly  two  hours  had  passed  since  Elizabeth,  in 
those  same  sledges,  had  left  her  palace  as  a  poor,  trembling 
princess  ;  and  now,  as  reigning  empress,  she  sent  them  back 
with  the  dethroned  regent. 

The  latter  entered  the  palace  of  the  princess  as  a 
prisoner,  while  Elizabeth,  as  empress,  took  possession  of  the 
palace  of  the  czars. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   SLEEP   OF   IN^NOCENCE. 

Anna  Leopoldowna  had  hardly  left  the  room  in 
which  she  had  been  surprised  and  captured,  when  Lestocq 
turned  to  Griinstein  with  a  new  order. 

''  Now,"  said  he,  in  an  undertone  to  him — "  now  hasten 
to  seize  the  emperor.    This  little  Ivan  must  be  annihilated." 

Elizabeth  had  overheard  these  words,  and  remembering 
Anna's  last  prayer,  she  exclaimed  with  vehemence  : 

*'  No,  no,  I  say,  he  shall  not  be  annihilated  !  Woe  to 
him  who  injures  a  hair  of  his  head  I     I  will  not  be  the  mur- 


140      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

derer  of  an  innocent  child !  Take  him  prisoner,  get  him 
in  your  power,  but  in  him  respect  the  child  and  the  em- 
peror !  Tear  him  not  forcibly  from  his  slumber,  but  pro- 
tect his  sleep  !     Poor  child,  destined  to  suffer  so  early  !  " 

"  No  weakness  now,  princess,"  whispered  Lestocq  ; 
"  show  yourself  great  and  firm,  else  all  is  lost !  Come  away 
from  here,  that  the  sight  of  this  child  may  not  yet  more  en- 
feeble your  heart.     Come,  much  more  remains  to  be  done." 

And,  reverently  taking  Elizabeth's  hand,  he  led  her  to 
the  door. 

"  Now  do  your  duty,"  said  he  to  Griinstein.  "  Seize 
young  Ivan." 

"  But  remember  my  command,  and  spare  him,"  said 
Elizabeth,  slowly  and  hesitatingly  leaving  the  chamber. 

"  Now  to  Ivan  ! "  Griinstein  commanded  his  soldiers, 
and  with  them  he  hastened  to  the  sleeping-room  of  the 
young  empefor. 

There  deep  stillness  and  undisturbed  peace  yet  prevailed. 
Only  the  waiting- women  were  awakened,  and  had  hastily 
fled  in  search  of  concealment  and  safety.  They  had  left 
the  young  emperor  entirely  alone,  and  he  had  not  been 
awakened  by  the  disturbance  all  around  him. 

He  lay  quietly  in  his  splendid  cradle,  which  was  placed 
upon  a  sort  of  estrade  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  dimly 
lighted  by  a  lamp  suspended  from  the  ceiling  by  golden 
chains.  This  slumbering,  smiling,  childish  face,  peeping 
forth  from  the  green  silk  coverings  of  the  pillows,  resembled 
a  fresh,  bursting  rosebud.  It  was  a  sight  that  inspired  respect 
even  in  those  rough  soldiers. 

Devoutly  staring,  they  at  first  remained  at  the  door  of 


THE  SLEEP  OP  INNOCENCE. 


THE  SLEEP  OF  INNOCENCE.  141 

the  room  ;  then  slowly,  and  stepping  on  the  points  of  their 
toes,  they  approached  nearer  and  surrounded  the  cradle. 
But,  remembering  the  words  of  their  new  empress,  "  Spare 
his  sleep,"  no  one  dared  to  touch  the  child,  or  awaken  him 
from  his  slumber. 

In  close  order  the  bearded  warriors  pressed  around  the 
cradle  of  the  imperial  child,  leaning  upon  their  halberds, 
watching  for  his  awaking.* 

It  was  a  rare  and  admirable  picture.  In  the  centre, 
upon  its  estrade,  was  the  splendid  cradle  of  the  slumbering 
child,  and  all  around,  upon  the  steps  of  this  child-throne, 
these  soldiers  with  their  wild  and  threatening  faces,  all  eyes 
expectantly  resting  upon  the  smiling  infantile  brow. 

The  door  now  opened,  and,  her  face  pallid  with  terror, 
Ivan's  nurse  rushed  into  the  room  and  to  the  cradle  of  her 
imperial  nursling.  The  soldiers,  with  imperious  glances, 
beckoned  her  to  await  in  silence,  like  themselves,  the  awak- 
ing of  the  emperor.  The  poor  woman  spoke  not,  but  her 
fast-flowing  tears  indicated  the  depth  of  her  grief. 

Time  passes.  As  if  under  enchantment,  earnest,  im- 
movable, silent,  stand  the  soldiers.  Behind  the  cradle,  her 
eyes  and  arms  raised  imploringly  toward  heaven,  stands  the 
nurse,  while  the  child  continues  to  slumber,  smiling  in  its 
sleep. 

At  the  expiration  of  an  hour  thus  passed,  the  imperial 
infant  moves,  throws  up  its  little  rosy  arms,  opens  its  eyes 
— it  is  awake  ! 

A  cry  of  triumph  escapes  the  lips  of  the  soldiers — all 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  227. 


142  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

arms  were  stretched  forth  to  seize  him  who,  an  hour  before, 
had  been  their  lord  and  emperor. 

The  child,  frightened  by  the  aspect  of  these  rough  sol- 
diers, bursts  out  into  a  cry  of  alarm,  and  stretches  out  its 
little  arms  toward  its  nurse. 

She  takes  him  in  her  arms  and  weeps  over  him.  The 
frightened  child  buries  its  little  face  in  the  bosom  of  his 
nurse,  and  the  soldiers  now  convey  them  both  to  the  wait- 
ing sledges.  The  dethroned  emperor  is  quickly  transported 
to  the  dethroned  regent  at  Elizabeth's  palace,  who,  with  hot 
tears,  clasps  her  son  to  her  heart. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    RECOMPENSING. 

Meanwhile,  Elizabeth  had  made  herself  absolute  mis- 
tress of  the  imperial  palace.  Hastening  to  the  throne-room, 
she  had  taken  possession  of  the  throne  of  her  father,  and 
administered  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  guards  surround- 
ing her. 

They  lay  upon  their  knees  before  her,  these  cowardly 
instruments  of  despotism ;  they  bowed  their  heads  in  the 
dust,  and  these  four  or  five  thousand  slaves,  to  which  num- 
ber the  followers  of  the  empress  already  amounted,  swore 
fealty  to  Elizabeth,  ready  to  strangle  the  regent  and  the 
young  emperor  at  her  command,  or  to  serve  her  the  same  if, 
peradventure,  the  regent  should  regain  a  momentary  power.* 

*  "  L'Abbe  Chappe  d'Auteroche,"  vol.  i.,  p.  138. 


THE  RECOMPENSING.  143 

While  the  guards  were  doing  homage  in  the  palace, 
Griinstein  and  Woronzow,  by  Lestocq's  command,  led  their 
men  to  Miinnich's  and  Ostermann's,  and  both  were  im- 
prisoned ;  with  them,  a  great  number  of  leading  and  sus- 
pected persons,  who,  perhaps,  might  have  been  disposed  to 
draw  the  sword  for  Anna  Leopoldowna.  Lestocq  had 
thought  of  every  thing,  had  considered  every  thing ;  at  the 
same  time  that  he  entered  the  regent's  palace  with  Eliza- 
beth, he  sent  to  the  printer  the  manifesto  which  proclaimed 
Elizabeth  as  empress.  With  the  appearance  of  the  sun  in 
the  horizon,  Elizabeth  was  recognized  as  empress  in  the 
capital,  and  soon  after  throughout  the  whole  empire.  Who 
were  they  who  recognized  her  ?  It  was  not  the  people,  for 
in  Russia  there  are  no  people — there  are  only  masters  and 
slaves.  Elizabeth  had  become  empress  because  fortune  and 
Anna  Leopoldowna's  generous  confidence  had  favored  her ; 
not  the  exigencdes  of  the  people,  nor  the  tyranny  of  her 
predecessor  had  called  her  to  the  throne,  but  she  had 
attained  to  it  by  the  cunning  and  intrigues  of  some  few 
confederates.  She  had  become  empress  because  Lestocq 
was  tired  of  being  only  physician  to  a  poor  princess ;  be- 
cause Grunstein  thought  the  position  of  under-officer  was 
far  too  humble  for  him,  and  because  Alexis  Razumovsky, 
the  former  precentor  in  the  imperial  chapel,  found  it  desir- 
able to  add  to  his  name  the  title  of  count  or  prince ! 

When  St.  Petersburg  awoke  it  heard  with  astonish- 
ment the  news  of  a  new  revolution.  From  mouth  to 
mouth  flew  this  astounding  announcement  :  "  We  have 
changed  our  rulers !  We  are  no  longer  the  servants  of 
the  Emperor  Ivan,  but  of  the  Empress  Elizabeth!      A 


144  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

new  dynasty  has  arisen,  and  we  have  a  new  oath  of  alle- 
giance to  take ! " 

At  first  only  a  few  ventured  to  spread  this  extraordinary 
intelligence,  and  these  few  were  tremblingly  and  anxiously 
avoided ;  it  was  dangerous  to  listen  to  them ;  people  fled 
from  them  without  answering.  But  as  the  rumors  became 
constantly  louder  and  more  significant,  as  at  length  their 
truth  could  be  no  longer  doubted,  as  it  became  certain  that 
the  regent  and  her  son  were  dethroned  and  Elizabeth  was 
established  in  power,  all  the  doubting  and  anxious  faces 
were,  as  by  an  electric  spark,  lighted  up  with  joy ;  then 
nothing  was  heard  but  the  cry  of  triumph  and  jubilation ; 
then  was  Anna  Leopoldowna  loudly  cursed  by  those  who 
had  blessed  her  on  the  preceding  day ;  then  was  the  new 
Empress  Elizabeth  loudly  lauded  by  those  who  yesterday 
had  smiled  with  contempt  at  her  powerlessness. 

All  again  hastened  to  the  imperial  palace ;  the  great  and 
the  noble  again  brought  out  their  state  coaches  for  the  pur- 
pose of  throwing  themselves  at  the  feet  of  the  new  possessor 
of  power  and  swearing  a  new  allegiance;  again  nothing 
was  heard  but  the  sound  of  universal  rejoicing,  nothing  seen 
but  faces  lighted  up  by  ecstasy  and  eyes  glistening  with 
tears  of  joy.  And  this  was,  in  fourteen  months,  the  third 
time  that  they  had  done  homage  to  a  new  ruler  who  had  as 
regularly  dethroned  his  predecessor,  and  they  had  each  time 
gone  through  the  ceremony  with  the  same  evidences  of  joy, 
the  same  ecstasies,  the  same  slavish  humility,  not  com- 
miserating the  defeated  party,  but  professing  love  and  de- 
votion to  the  victor ! 

And  as  the  day  dawned  on  St.  Petersburg,  as  it  glo- 


THE  RECOMPENSING.  14,5 

riously  beamed  upon  the  young  empress,  as  she  saw  these 
thousands  of  worshipping  slaves  at  her  feet,  Elizabeth's 
heart  swelled  with  a  proud  joy,  and  looking  down  upon  the 
masses  of  humble  and  devoted  subjects,  whose  mistress  she 
was,  she  felt  herself  momentarily  overcome  by  a  deep  and 
hioly  emotion. 

"  I  will  be  a  mother  to  this  people,"  thought  she ;  "  I 
will  love  and  spare  them ;  I  will  govern  them  with  mild- 
ness ;  they  shall  not  curse,  but  adore  me  ! " 

Yielding  to  this  first  generous  impulse  of  her  heart, 
Elizabeth  rose  from  the  throne,  and  with  uplifted  hands 
loudly  and  solemnly  swore  that  she  would  be  a  mother  to 
her  subjects — a  mother  who,  when  compelled  to  punish, 
would  never  forget  love  and  forbearance  ! 

"  No  one,  however  great  his  crime,"  said  she,  with  flash- 
ing eyes — "  no  one  shall  be  punished  with  death  so  long  as 
I  sit  upon  this  throne  !  From  this  day  the  punishment  of 
death  is  abolished  in  my  realm  !  I  will  punish  crime,  but 
I  will  spare  the  life  of  the  criminal !  " 

When  Elizabeth  had  thus  spoken,  the  large  hall  again 
resounded  with  the  rejoicing  shouts  of  the  great  and  noble 
— men  breathed  freer  and  deeper,  they  raised  their  heads 
more  proudly ;  for  centuries  the  all-powerful  word  of  the 
czars  had  swept  over  the  heads  of  Russians  like  the  sword 
of  Damocles — it  now  seemed  to  be  removed,  and  to  promise 
to  each  one  a  longer  life,  a  longer  unendangered  existence. 
For  where  was  there  a  subject  of  the  czars  who  might  not 
at  any  time  be  convicted  of  a  crime — where  an  innocent 
person  who  might  not  at  any  moment  be  condemned  to 
death?    A  glance,  a  smile,  an  inconsiderate  word,  had  oft- 


146  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

en  sufficed  to  cause  a  head  to  fall !  And  now  this  eternally 
present  danger  seemed  to  be  removed  !  What  wonder,  then, 
that  they  raised  shouts  of  joy,  that  they  embraced  each 
other,  that  they  loudly  and  solemnly  called  down  the  bless- 
ings of  Heaven  upon  this  noble  and  merciful  empress ! 

During  this  time  of  general  rejoicing  among  the  great 
and  noble  of  the  realm  in  the  brilliant  imperial  halls  above, 
the  palace  was  surrounded  by  dense  masses  of  people  look- 
ing up  with  curiosity  at  the  bright  windows,  and  listening 
with  astonishment  to  the  joyful  shouts  that  reached  their 
ears  below.  And  when  they  learned  the  cause  of  the  re- 
joicing above,  they  shrugged  their  shoulders  and  murmured 
low :  "  The  empress  will  henceforth  punish  no  one  with 
death !  What  is  that  to  us  ?  That  the  great  shall  no  more 
be  put  to  death  by  the  empress,  is  no  concern  of  ours,  the 
serfs  of  the  great !  The  empress  is  powerful,  but  our  lords 
and  masters  have  yet  more  power  over  us.  They  will  still 
scourge  us  to  death,  and  the  empress  cannot  hinder  them  ! " 

That  a  word  of  authority  from  the  czarina  had 
abolished  the  punishment  of  death,  did  not  stir  them  up 
from  their  dull,  expectant  silence ;  but  when  a  messenger 
from  the  empress  came  and  announced  that  Elizabeth  had 
ordered  a  flask  of  brandy  to  be  given  to  each  one  of  the 
crowd  assembled  below,  that  they  might  drink  her  health, 
then  came  life  and  movement  to  these  stupid  masses,  then 
their  dull  faces  were  distorted  into  a  friendly  grin,  then 
they  screamed  and  howled  with  a  brutish  ecstasy,  and  they 
all  rushed  to  the  opened  door  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
promised  benevolence  of  the  empress  and  receive  the  divine 
liquor ! 


THE  RECOMPENSING.  147 

For  the  great,  the  abolition  of  capital  punishment — for 
the  people,  a  flask  of  brandy — these  were  the  first  rays  that 
announced  the  appearance  of  the  newly-rising  sun  Elizabeth 
in  the  horizon  of  her  realm  ! 

No, — Elizabeth  did  yet  more ! — in  this  hour  she  remem- 
bered with  a  grateful  heart  the  faithful  friends  who  had  as- 
sisted her  to  the  throne ;  to  reward  these  was  her  next  and 
most  sacred  duty ! 

A  nod  from  her  called  to  her  presence  those  thirty 
grenadiers  of  the  Preobrajensky  regiment  whom  Griinstein 
had  won  over,  and  the  empress  with  a  gracious  smile  gave 
them  her  hand  to  kiss. 

Then,  rising  from  her  throne,  and  glancing  at  the  as- 
sembled magnates  and  princes,  she  said,  in  a  clear  and  flat- 
tering tone :  "  It  is  service  that  ennobles,  it  is  fidelity  tliat 
lends  fame  and  splendor.  And  service  and  fidelity  have 
you  rendered  and  shown  to  me,  my  faithful  grenadiers!  I 
will  reward  you  as  you  deserve.  From  this  hour  you  are 
free ;  nay,  more,  you  are  magnates  of  my  realm ;  you  be- 
long, with  the  best  of  right,  to  their  circle,  for,  in  virtue  of 
my  imperial  power,  I  raise  you  to  the  nobility  by  creating 
you  barons,  all  of  you,  my  thirty  faithful  grenadiers,  and 
you,  Grunstein,  the  leader  of  this  faithful  band !  Receive 
them  into  your  ranks,  my  counts  and  barons,  they  are 
worthy  of  you  ! " 

Hesitating,  not  daring  to  mingle  with  those  proud  mag- 
nates, stood  the  new  barons ;  but  the  princes  and  counts 
advanced  to  them  with  open  arms,  with  exclamations  of 
tenderness  and  assurances  of  friendship.  The  empress  had 
spoken,  the  slaves  must  obey  ;  and  these  princes  and  counts, 


148  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EiMPRESS. 

these  generals  and  field-marshals,  who  yesterday  would 
hardly  have  thrown  away  a  contemptuous  glance  upon  these 
grenadiers,  now  called  them  friends  and  brothers,  and  were 
most  happy  to  admit  them  into  their  circle. 

Elizabeth  gave  a  satisfied  glance  at  these  hearty  greet- 
ings :  she  found  it  infinitely  sweet  and  agreeable  to  make 
so  many  men  happy  in  so  easy  a  manner,  and  with  pleasure 
she  recollected  that  she  had  yet  to  reward  her  coachman 
who  had  guided  her  sledge  in  the  great  and  decisive  hour. 

She  ordered  him  to  be  called.  A  considerable  time 
elapsed,  and  all  were  looking  expectantly  toward  the  door, 
which  finally  opened,  and,  led  by  four  lackeys,  the  coach- 
man stumbled  into  the  hall.  They  had  had  some  trouble 
in  finding  him,  until  at  length  he  was  discovered  among 
the  people  in  the  court-yard,  enjoying  the  brandy  dis- 
tributed by  order  of  the  empress.  From  this  crowd  they 
had  withdrawn  him  in  spite  of  his  resistance,  in  order  to 
bring  him  to  Iris  sovereign. 

She  received  the  staggering  Petrovitch  with  a  gracious 
smile,  she  praised  the  dauntlessness  with  which  he  had 
guided  her  sledge  in  that  eventful  niglit,  and  in  gratitude 
for  his  good  conduct  she  raised  him,  as  she  had  the  grena- 
diers, to  the  rank  of  a  nobleman  by  naming  him  a  baron  of 
the  Russian  empire.* 

Petrovitch  listened  to  her  with  a  stupid  laugh ;  and 
when  the  magnates  crowded  around  him,  offering  their 
hands  and  assuring  him  of  their  friendship,  he  tremblingly 
and  with  effort  stammered   some  unmeaning  words,  and 

*  Mannstein.  "  Memoires,  Historiqiies,  Politiques,  et  Militaires  sur 
la  Russie;"  Levecque,  "Histoire  de  Russie." 


THE  RECOMPENSING.  149 

falling  upon  his  knees,  he  bowed  his  head  in  the  dust  be- 
fore these  great  and  powerful  magnates,  humbly  kissing  the 
hems  of  their  garments,  not  suspecting  that  he  was  their 
equal  in  rank. 

And  constantly  more  brilliant  and  beautiful  beamed  the 
imperial  grace.  None  of  Elizabeth's  faithful  friends  and 
servants  were  forgotten,  for  she  possessed  a  virtue  rare 
among  princes — she  was  grateful. 

She  named  Lestocq  her  first  physician,  president  of  the 
medical  college,  and  member  of  her  privy  council.  She 
made  Griinstein  an  imperial  aide-de-camp,  with  the  rank  of 
brigadier-general;  and  Woronzow  a  count  and  her  first 
chamberlain. 

Then,  at  last,  she  repeated  the  name  of  her  friend  Alexis 
Razumovsky.  Her  fair  brow  lighted  up  as  with  d.  reflected 
sunbeam  on  his  approaching  her  throne,  and,  holding  out  to 
him  both  hands,  she  said  aloud :  "  Alexis  Razumovsky,  I 
have  you  most  to  thank  for  my  success  in  dispossessing  the 
usurpers  who  had  robbed  me  of  ray  father's  throne ;  for 
your  wise  counsels  gave  me  courage  and  force :  be  then, 
henceforth,  next  to  my  throne,  my  chamberlain,  Count 
Razumovsky ! " 

Bending  a  knee  before  her,  Alexis  gratefully  kissed  her 
beloved  hand,  and  the  counts  and  gentlemen  surrounded 
him,  loudly  praising  the  great  wisdom  of  the  empress, 
whose  divine  penetration  enabled  her  everywhere  to  dis- 
cover and  reward  true  service  ! 

"  Ah,"  sighed  Elizabeth,  when,  on  the  evening  of  this 
glorious  day,  she  was  again  alone  with  her  confidential 
friends,  "  ah,  my  friends,  I  have  now  complied  with  your 


150  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

wishes  and  allowed  you  to  make  an  empress  of  me !  But 
forget  not,  Lestocq,  that  I  have  become  empress  only  on 
condition  that  I  am  not  to  be  troubled  with  business  and 
state  affairs.  This  has  been  a  day  of  great  exertion  and 
fatigue,  and  I  hope  you  will  henceforth  leave  me  in  repose. 
I  have  done  what  you  wished,  I  am  empress,  and  have  re- 
warded you  for  your  aid,  but  now  I  also  demand  my  reward, 
and  that  is  undisturbed  peace  !  Once  for  all,  in  my  private 
apartments  no  one  is  to  speak  of  state  affairs,  here  I  will 
have  repose ;  you  can  carry  on  tlie  government  through 
your  bureaux  and  chancelleries  ;  I  will  have  nothing  to  do 
with  it !  Here  we  will  be  gay  and  enjoy  life.  Come  here, 
my  Alexis, — come  here  and  tell  me  if  this  imperial  crown 
is  becoming,  and  whether  you  found  me  fair  in  my  ermine- 
trimmed  purple  mantle  ?  " 

"  My  lofty  empress  is  always  the  fairest  of  women,"  ten- 
derly responded  Alexis. 

"  Call  me  not  empress,"  said  she,  drawing  him  closer  to 
her.  "That  brings  again  to  mind  all  the  hardships  and 
wearinesses  I  have  this  day  encountered." 

"  Only  yet  a  moment,  your  majesty ;  let  me  remind  you 
that  you  are  now  empress,  and,  as  such,  have  duties  to  per- 
form ! "  pressingly  exclaimed  Lestocq.  "  You  have  this 
day  exercised  the  pleasantest  right  of  your  imperial  power 
— the  right  of  rewarding  and  making  happy.  But  there 
remains  another  and  not  less  important  duty ;  your  majesty 
must  now  think  of  punishing.  The  regent,  and  her  hus- 
band and  son,  are  prisoners ;  as,  also,  are  Miinnich,  Oster- 
mann.  Count  Lowenwald,  and  Julia  von  Mengden.  You 
must  think  of  judging  and  punishing  them." 


THPJ   RECOMPENSING.  151 

Elizabeth  had  paid  no  attention  to  him.  She  was  whis- 
pering and  laughing  with  Alexis,  who  had  let  down  her 
long  dark  hair,  and  was  now  playfully  twining  it  around  her 
white  neck. 

"  Ah,  you  have  not  listened  to  me,  your  majesty,"  impa- 
tiently cried  Lestocq.  "  You  must,  however,  for  a  few 
moments  remember  your  new  dignity,  and  direct  what  is  to 
be  done  with  the  imprisoned  traitors." 

"  Only  see,  Alexis,  how  this  new  lord  privy  counsel- 
lor teases  me,"  sighed  the  princess,  and,  turning  to  Les- 
tocq, she  continued :  "  I  think  you  should  understand 
the  laws  better  than  I,  and  should  know  how  traitors 
are  punished." 

"  In  all  countries  high-treason  is  punished  with  death," 
said  Lestocq,  gloomily. 

"  Well,  let  these  traitors  fare  according  to  the  common 
usage,  and  kill  them,"  responded  Elizabeth,  comfortably  ex- 
tending herself  upon  the  divan. 

"  But  your  majesty  has  this  day  abolished  the  punish- 
ment of  death.'* 

"  Have  I  so  ?  Ah,  yes,  I  now  remember.  Well,  as  I 
have  said  it,  I  must  keep  my  word." 

"  And  the  regent.  Prince  Ulrich,  the  so-called  Emperor 
Ivan,  Counts  Ostermann,  Miinnich,  Lowenwald,  as  well  as 
Julia  von  Mengden,  and  the  other  prisoners,  are  all  to  re- 
main unpunished  ?  " 

"  Can  they  be  punished  in  no  other  way  than  by  death  ?  " 
impatiently  asked  Elizabeth.  "  Have  we  not  prisons  and 
the  knout?  Have  we  not  Siberia  and  the  rack?  Punish 
these  traitors,  then,  as  you  think  best.    I  give  you  full  pow- 


152  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ers,  and,  if  it  must  be  so,  will  even  take  the  trouble  to  affix 
my  signature  to  your  sentence." 

"But  we  cannot  scourge  the  regent  or  her  son?" 

"  No,"  said  Elizabeth,  with  vehemence,  "  these  you 
must  permit  to  go  free  and  without  hindrance  to  Germany ; 
your  judicial  powers  will  not  extend  to  them.  It  shall  not 
be  said  that  Elizabeth  has  delivered  up  her  aunt  and  cousin 
to  torture  for  the  purpose  of  securing  her  own  advantage. 
Let  them  go  hence  free  and  unobstructed !  I  tell  you  this 
is  my  express,  imperial  will ! " 

And  Elizabeth,  exhausted  by  so  great  an  effort,  leaned 
her  head  upon  the  shoulder  of  Alexis,  mechanically  playing 
with  his  locks. 

"  And  Miinnich  and  Ostermann  ?  "  asked  Lestocq. 

"  Mon  Dieu  !  will,  then,  this  annoyance  never  cease  ?  "  im- 
patiently exclaimed  the  empress.  "  What  are  Miinnich  and 
Ostermann  to  me?  I  know  them  not;  they  have  never  in- 
jured and  are  wholly  indifferent  to  me.  Do  with  them  as 
you  and  your  colleagues  think  best,  I  shall  not  trouble  my- 
self about  it.  Judge,  condemn,  punish  thefti,  it  is  all  one 
to  me — only  their  lives  must  be  spared,  as  I  have  promised 
that  no  one  shall  be  punished  with  death." 

"  I  may,  then,  announce  to  the  council  that  you  will 
confirm  their  sentence?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  certainly,"  cried  Elizabeth,  springing  up. 
"  Scourge,  banish  them,  do  what  you  please,  but  leave  me 
in  peace  !  Come,  my  Alexis,  this  good  Lestocq  is  insuffer- 
able to-day;  he  will  annoy  us  to  death  if  we  remain  any 
longer  here !  Come,  we  will  escape  from  him  and  his 
serious  face  !     Oh,  we  have  much  more  serious  subjects  of 


THE  RECOMPENSING.  153 

conversation.  To-morrow  is  my  grand  gala  dinner,  and  we 
have  my  toilet  to  examine,  to  be  certain  that  every  thing  is 
in  the  proper  order.  And  then  the  ball  toilet  for  the  even- 
ing, which  is  far  more  important.  I  shall  open  the  ball 
with  a  Polonnaise.  You  promised  me,  Alexis,  to  practise 
with  me  the  new  tour  which  the  Marquis  de  la  Chetardie 
describes  as  the  latest  Parisian  mode.  Come,  let  us  essay 
this  tour.  For  a  new  empress,  at  her  first  court  ball,  there 
is  nothing  more  important  than  that  she  should  perform 
her  duty  as  leader  of  the  dance  with  propriety  and  grace. 
Quick,  therefore,  to  the  work  !  Give  me  your  hand — and 
now,  Alexis,  let  us  commence.  Sing  a  melody  to  it,  and 
then  it  will  go  better." 

Alexis  began  to  sing  a  Polonnaise^  and,  taking  the  hand 
of  the  empress,  they  commenced  the  practice  of  the  new 
Polonnaise  tour. 

""So,  that  is  right,"  said  he,  interrupting  his  singing, 
"  that  is  very  fine.  Now  let  go  my  hand  and  turn  proudly 
and  majestically  around.  Beautifully  done !  Now  a  half 
turn  sideward.     One,  two,  three — la,  la,  la,  tra  la  !  " 

"  Yet  one  more  question,"  interposed  Lestocq ;  "  may 
the  council  of  state  sit  in  judgment  upon  Lowenwald  and 
de  Mengden,  and  will  you  confirm  their  decision  ?  " 

"  One,  two,  three — tra,  la,  la !  "  sang  Alexis,  and  the 
empress  whirled  and  made  her  graceful  turn,  as  he  had 
taught  her. 

Lestocq  repeated  his  question  to  the  empress. 

Elizabeth  was  precisely  in  the  most  difficult  tour. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  she  breathlessly  cried,  "  I  deliver  them  all 
over  to  you ;  scourge  them,  punish  them,  send  them  to  Si- 
ll 


154  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

beria — whatever  you  think  best !  Halt,  Alexis,  we  must  try 
this  tour  over  again.  But,  indeed,  I  think  I  shall  acquit 
myself  very  well  in  it." 

"  Heavenly  !  "  cried  Alexis.     "  Once  more,  then  !     One, 
two,  three — la,  la,  la,  tra  la ! " 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

PUNJSHMENT. 

"  Punish  them  all,  all !  "  had  Elizabeth  said,  "  but  the 
regent,  her  husband,  and  her  son — them  you  will  permit  to 
return  to  Germany ! " 

"We  must  accomplish  the  will  of  the  empress,  and 
therefore  let  them  go  !  " 

"  We  will  obey  her  commands,"  said  Lestocq  to  Alexis 
Razumovsky.  "  We  must  let  them  go  free,  but  it  would  be 
dangerous  to  let  them  ever  reach  Germany.  With  their 
persons  they  would  preserve  their  rights  and  their  claims, 
and  Elizabeth  would  always  stand  in  fear  of  this  regent  and 
this  young  growing  emperor,  whose  claims  to  the  imperial 
Russian  crown  are  incontestable.  You  alone,  Razumovsky, 
can  turn  away  this  danger  from  the  head  of  the  empress,  by 
convincing  her  of  its  reality,  and  inducing  her  to  change 
her  mind.  Reflect  that  the  safety  of  the  empress  is  our 
own ;  reflect  that,  as  we  have  risen  with  her,  so  shall  we  fall 
with  her ! " 

"  Rely  upon  me,"  said  Alexis,  with  a  confident  smile ; 
"  this  regent  apd  her  young  Emperor  Ivan  shall  never  pass 


PUNISHMENT.  155 

the  Eussian  boundary !  Let  them  now  go,  but  send  a 
strong  guard  with  them,  and  travel  by  slow  marches,  that 
our  couriers  may  be  able  to  overtake  them  at  a  later  period. 
That  is  all  you  have  to  do  in  the  case." 

And,  humming  a  sentimental  song,  Alexis  repaired  to 
the  apartments  of  the  empress. 

Before  the  back  door  of  the  palace  Elizabeth  had  occu- 
pied as  princess,  a  travelling-sledge  was  waiting.  Gayly 
sounded  and  clattered  the  bells  on  the  six  small  horses  at- 
tached to  the  sledge ;  gayly  did  the  postilions  blow  their 
horns,  and  with  enticing  calls  resounded  the  thundering 
fanfares  through  the  cold  winter  air. 

To  those  for  whom  this  sledge  was  destined,  this  call 
sounded  like  a  greeting  from  heaven.  It  was  to  them  the 
dove  with  the  olive-branch,  announcing  to  them  the  end  of 
their  torments ;  it  was  the  messenger  of  peace,  which  gave 
them  back  their  freedom,  their  lives,  and  perhaps  even  hap- 
piness. They  were  to  return  to  Germany,  their  long-missed 
home ;  hastening  through  the  Russian  snow-fields,  they 
would  soon  reach  a  softer  climate,  where  they  would  be  sur- 
rounded by  milder  manners  and  customs.  What  was  it  to 
Anna  that  she  was  to  be  deprived  of  earthly  elevation  and 
power — what  cared  she  that  she  henceforth  would  no  more 
have  the  pleasure  of  commanding  others  ?  She  was  free, 
free  from  the  task  of  ruling  slaves  and  humanizing  barba- 
rians ;  free  from  the  constraint  of  greatness,  and,  finally  free 
to  live  in  conformity  with  her  own  inclinations,  and  per- 
haps, ah,  perhaps,  to  found  a  happiness,  the  bare  dreaming 
of  which  already  caused  her  heart  to  tremble  with  unspeak- 
able ecstasv. 


156  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Again  and  again  the  fanfares  resounded  without. 
Anna,  weeping,  tore  herself  from  the  arms  of  Julia.  She 
had  in  vain  implored  the  favor  of  taking  Julia  von  Meng- 
den  with  her.  Elizabeth  had  refused  it,  and,  in  this  refusal, 
she  had  pronounced  the  sentence  of  the  favorite — this  was 
understood  by  both  Julia  and  Anna. 

They  held  each  other  in  a  last  embrace.  Anna  wept  hot 
tears,  but  Julia  remained  calm,  and  even  smiled. 

"  They  may  send  me  to  Siberia,  if  they  please,  my  heart 
will  remain  warm  under  the  coldness  of  the  Siberian  cli- 
mate, and  this  great  happiness  of  knowing  that  you  and 
yours  are  saved  they  cannot  rend  from  me  ;  that  will  be  for 
me  a  talisman  against  all  misfortunes  !  " 

"  But  I,"  sadly  responded  Anna — "  shall  I  not  always  be 
tortured  by  the  reflection  that  it  is  I  who  have  been  the 
cause  of  your  misfortunes  ?  Are  you  not  condemned  be- 
cause you  loved  and  were  true  to  me  ?  Ah,  does  love,  then, 
deserve  so  hard  a  punishment  ?  " 

"  The  punishment  passes,  but  love  remains,"  calmly  re- 
sponded Julia.     "  That  will  always  be  my  consolation." 

"  And  mine  also,"  sighed  Anna. 

"  You  will  not  need  it,"  said  Julia,  with  a  smile.  *'  You, 
at  least,  will  be  happy- 
Anna  sighed  again,  and  her  cheek  paled.  A  dark  and 
terrible  image  arose  in  her  soul,  and  she  shudderingly  whis- 
pered : 

"  Ah,  would  that  we  were  once  beyond  the  Russian 
boundary,  for  then,  first,  shall  we  be  free." 

"  Then  let  us  hasten  our  journey,"  said  Prince  Ulrich ; 
"  once  in  the  sledge,  and  every  minute  brings  us  nearer  to 


PUNISHMENT.  157 

freedom  and  happiness.  Only  hear  how  the  horns  are  call- 
ing us,  Anna — they  call  us  to  Germany !  Come,  take  your 
son,  wrap  him  close  in  your  furred  mantle,  and  let  us  hasten 
away — away  from  here ! "  The  prince  laid  little  Ivan  in 
the  arms  of  his  wife,  and  drew  her  away  with  him. 

"  Farewell,  farewell,  my  Julia  ! "  cried  Anna,  as  she  took 
her  seat  in  the  sledge. 

"  Farewell ! "  was  echoed  as  a  low  spirit-breath  from  the 
palace. 

Shuddering,  Anna  pressed  her  child  to  her  bosom,  and 
cast  an  anxiously  interrogating  glance  at  her  husband,  who 
was  sitting  by  her. 

"  Be  calm,  tranquillize  yourself — it  will  all  be  well,"  said 
the  latter,  with  a  smile. 

The  postilion  blew  his  horn — the  horses  started  ;  gayly 
resounded  the  tones  of  the  silver  bells ;  with  a  light  whiz- 
zing, away  flew  the  sledge  over  the  snow.  It  bore  thence  a 
dethroned  emperor  and  his  overthrown  family  ! 

Rapidly  did  this  richly-laden  sledge  pass  through  the 
streets,  but,  following  it,  was  a  troop  of  armed,  grim-look- 
ing soldiers,  like  unwholesome  ravens  following  their  cer- 
tain booty. 

At  about  the  same  hour,  another  armed  troop  passed 
through  the  streets  of  St.  Petersburg.  With  drawn  swords 
they  surrounded  two  closely-covered  sledges,  the  mysterious 
occupants  of  which  no  one  was  allowed  to  descry !  The 
train  made  a  halt  at  the  same  gate  through  which  the  over- 
thrown imperial  family  had  just  passed.  The  soldiers  sur- 
rounded the  sledges  in  close  ranks ;  no  one  was  allowed  a 
glimpse  at  those  who  alighted  from  them. 


158  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

But  these  extra  precautions  of  the  soldiery  were  un- 
necessary, as  nobody  wished  to  see  the  unfortunate  objects. 
Every  one  timidly  glanced  aside,  that  they  might  not,  by 
looking  at  the  poor  creatures,  bring  themselves  into  suspi- 
cion of  favoring  men  suffering  under  the  displeasure  of  the 
government.  But  though  they  looked  not  at  them,  every 
one  knew  who  they  were  ;  though  they  dared  not  speak  to 
each  other,  every  one  tremblingly  said  to  himself :  "  There 
go  Miinnich  and  Ostermann  to  their  trials !  " 

Miinnich  and  Ostermann,  the  faithful  servants  of  Peter 
the  Great — Miinnich,  whom  Prince  Eugene  called  "  his  be- 
loved pupil ; "  Ostermann,  of  whom  the  dying  Czar  Peter 
said  he  had  never  caught  him  in  a  fault ;  that  he  was  the 
only  honest  statesman  in  Russia — Miinnich  and  Ostermann, 
those  two  great  statesmen  to  whom  Russia  was  chiefly  in- 
debted for  what  civilization  and  cultivation  she  had  ac- 
quired, were  now  accused  of  high-treason,  and  sent  for  trial 
before  a  commission  commanded  to  find  them  guilty  and  to 
punish  them.  .  They  were  to  be  put  out  of  the  way  because 
they  were  feared,  and  to  be  feared  wag  held  as  a  crime  de- 
serving death  ! 

Firm  and  courageous  stood  they  before  their  judges. 
In  this  hour  old  Ostermann  had  shaken  off  his  illness  and 
thrown  away  the  shield  of  his  physical  sufferings!  lie 
would  not  intrench  himself  behind  his  age  and  his  sickness ; 
he  would  be  a  man,  and  boldly  offer  his  unprotected  breast 
to  the  murderous  weapons  of  his  enemies ! 

For,  that  he  was  lost  he  knew  !  A  single  glance  at  his 
judges  made  him  certain  of  it,  and  from  this  moment  his 
features  wore  a  calm  and  contemptuous  smile,  an  unchange- 


PUNISHMENT.  159 

able  expression  of  scorn.  With  an  ironic  curiosity  he  fol- 
lowed his  judges  through  the  labyrinth  of  artfully  contrived 
captious  questions  by  which  they  hoped  to  entangle  him ; 
occasionally  he  gave  himself,  as  it  were  for  his  own  amuse- 
ment, the  appearance  of  voluntarily  being  caught  in  their 
nets,  until  he  finally  by  a  side  spring  tore  their  whole  web 
to  pieces  and  laughingly  derided  his  judges  for  not  being 
able  to  convict  him  ! 

He  was  accused  of  having,  by  his  cabals  alone,  after  the 
death  of  Catharine,  effected  the  elevation  to  the  throne  of 
Anna,  Duchess  of  Courland.  And  yet  they  very  well  knew 
that  precisely  at  that  time  Ostermann  had  for  weeks  pre- 
tended to  be  suffering  from  illness,  for  the  very  purpose  of 
avoiding  any  intermingling  with  state  affairs.  They  ac- 
cused him  of  having  suppressed  the  testament  of  Catharine, 
and  yet  that  testament  had  been  published  in  all  the  official 
journals  of  the  time  ! 

Ostermann  laughed  loud  at  all  of  these  childish  accusa- 
tions. 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  "  should  I  be  sitting  in  your  places, 
and  you  all,  though  innocent,  should  be  standing  accused 
before  me,  my  word  for  it,  I  would  so  involve  you  in 
questions  and  answers  that  you  would  be  compelled  to 
confess  your  guilt!  But  you  do  not  understand  ques- 
tioning, and  old  Ostermann  is  a  sly  fox  that  does  not 
allow  himself  to  be  easily  caught !  The  best  way  will  be 
for  you  to  declare  me  guilty,  though  I  am  no  criminal ; 
for  as  your  empress  has  commanded  that  I  should  be 
found  guilty,  it  would  certainly  be  in  me  a  crime  worthy 
of  death  not  to  be  guilty." 


160      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  You  dare  to  deride  our  empress ! "  cried  one  of  the 
judges. 

"  Aha ! "  said  Ostermann,  laughing,  "  I  have  there 
thrown  you  a  bait,  and  you,  good  judicial  fishes,  bite  di- 
rectly !  That  is  very  well,  you  are  now  in  a  good  way ! 
Only  go  on,  and  I  will  help  you  to  find  me  guilty,  if  it  be 
only  of  simple  high-treason.  It  will  then  be  left  to  the 
mercy  of  your  empress  to  declare  me  convicted  of  threefold 
high- treason  !     Go  on,  go  on  ! " 

But  Miinnich  showed  himself  less  unruflBed  and  sarcas- 
tic in  the  face  of  his  judges.  These  never-ending  questions, 
this  ceaseless  teasing  about  trifles,  exhausted  his  patience  at 
last.  He  wearied  of  continually  turning  aside  these  laugh- 
ably trivial  accusations,  of  convincing  his  judges  of  his  in- 
nocence, and  making  them  ashamed  of  the  nature  of  the 
proofs  adduced. 

"  Let  it  suffice,"  said  he,  at  length  to  his  judges  ;  "  after 
hours  of  vain  labor,  you  see  that  in  this  way  you  will  never 
attain  your  end.  I  will  propose  to  you  a  better  and  safer 
course.  Write  down  your  questions,  and  append  to  each 
the  answer  you  desire  me  to  give;  I  will  then  sign  the 
whole  protocol  and  declare  it  correct."  * 

"  Are  you  in  earnest  ?  "  joyfully  asked  the  judges. 

"  Quite  in  earnest ! "  proudly  answered  Miinnich. 

They  were  shameless  enough  to  accept  his  offer ;  they 
troubled  him  with  no  more  questions,  but  wrote  in  the  pro- 
tocol such  answers  as  would  best  suit  the  purpose  of  his 
judges.     In  these  answers  Munnich  declared  himself  guilty 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  235. 


PUNISHMENT.  161 

of  all  the  crimes  laid  to  his  charge,  acknowledged  himself 
to  be  a  traitor,  and  deserving  death. 

When  they  had  finished  their  artistic  labor,  they  handed 
to  Miinnich  the  pen  for  his  signature. 

He  calmly  took  the  pen,  and,  while  affixing  his  signa- 
ture, said  with  a  contemptuous  smile  :  "  Was  I  not  right  ? 
In  this  way  it  is  rendered  much  easier  for  you  to  make  of 
me  a  very  respectable  criminal,  and  I  have  only  the  trouble 
of  writing  my  name !  I  thank  you,  gentlemen,  for  this  in- 
dulgence." 

Quick  and  decisive  as  were  the  hearings,  now  followed 
the  sentences.  Ostermann  was  condemned  to  be  broken  on 
the  wheel,  Miinnich  to  be  quartered,  and  the  two  ministers, 
Lowenwald  and  Golopkin,  to  the  axe ! 

But  Elizabeth  had  promised  her  people  that  no  one 
should  be  punished  with  death ;  she  must  abide  by  that 
promise,  and  she  did.  She  commuted  the  punishment  of 
the  condemned,  as  also  of  Julia  von  Mengden,  into  banish- 
ment to  Siberia  for  life.  What  a  grace !  and  even  this 
grace  was  first  communicated  to  Ostermann  after  his  old 
limbs  had  been  bound  to  the  wheel  and  his  executioners 
were  on  the.  point  of  crushing  him  ! 

But  even  in  this  extreme  moment  Count  Ostermann's 
calm  heroism  did  not  forsake  him, 

"  I  was  convinced  that  such  would  be  the  result ! "  he 
calmly  said,  quietly  stretching  his  released  limbs ;  "  this 
Empress  Elizabeth  has  not  the  courage  to  break  her  oath 
by  chopping  off  a  few  heads !  It  is  a  pity.  On  the  wheel 
it  might  have  become  a  little  warm  for  me,  but  in  Siberia 
it  will  be  fearfully  cold." 


162  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

From  the  windows  of  her  palace  Elizabeth  had  witnessed 
the  preparations  for  this  pretended  execution ;  and  as  she 
knew  that  at  last  their  punishment  would  be  commuted, 
she  was  amused  to  see  the  solemn  earnestness  and  the  death- 
shudder  of  the  condemned.  It  was  a  very  entertaining  hour 
that  she  and  her  friends  passed  at  that  window,  and  the 
comical  face  of  old  Ostermann,  the  proud  gravity  of  Count 
Miinnich,  the  folded  hands  and  heaven-directed  glances  of 
Golopkin  and  Lowenwald,  had  often  made  her  laugh  until 
the  tears  ran  down  her  cheeks. 

"  That  was  a  magnificent  comedy  !  "  said  she,  retreating 
from  the  window  when  the  condemned  were  released  from 
their  bands  and  raised  into  the  vehicles  that  were  imme- 
diately to  start  with  them  for  Siberia.  "  Yes,  it  was,  in- 
deed, very  amusing  !  But  tell  me,  Lestocq,  where  are  they 
about  to  take  old  Count  Ostermann  ?  " 

"  To  the  most  northerly  part  of  Siberia !  "  calmly  replied 
Lestocq. 

"  Poor  old  man  !  "  sighed  Elizabeth  ;  "  it  must  be  very 
sad  for  him  thus  to  pass  his  last  years  in  suffering  and  dep- 
rivation." 

Lestocq  seemed  not  to  have  heard  her  remark,  and 
laughingly  continued  :  "  To  Miinnich  I  have  thought  to  ap- 
ply a  jest  of  his  own." 

"  Ah,  a  jest !  "  cried  Elizabeth,  suddenly  brightening  up. 
"  Let  us  hear  it.  You  know  I  love  a  jest,  it  is  so  amusing ! 
Quick,  therefore,  let  us  hear  it ! " 

"  Perhaps  your  majesty  may  remember  Biron,  Duke  of 
Courland,"  said  Lestocq.  "  Count  Miinnich,  as  you  know, 
overthrew  him,  and  placed  Anna  Leopoldowna  in  the  re- 


PUNISHMENT.  163 

gency.  Biron  has  ever  since  lived  at  Pelym  in  Siberia,  and, 
indeed,  in  a  house  of  which  Miinnich  liimself  drew  the  plan, 
the  rooms  of  which  are  so  low  that  poor  Biron,  who  is  as 
tall  as  Miinnich,  could  never  stand  erect  in  them.  The 
good  Miinnich,  he  was  very  much  devoted  to  the  duke,  and 
:  hence  in  pure  friendship  invented  this  means  of  reminding 
him,  every  hour  in  the  day,  of  the  architect  of  his  house, 
his  friend  Miinnich  !  " 

"  Ah,  you  promised  us  a  jest,  and  you  are  there  repeat- 
ing an  old  and  well-known  story  !  "  interposed  the  empress, 
yawning. 

"  Now  comes  the  joke  !  "  continued  Lestocq.  "  We  have 
transferred  Biron  to  another  colony,  and  Herr  Miinnich  will 
occupy  the  poetical  pleasure-house  of  his  friend  Biron  at 
Pelym."  * 

"  Ah,  that  is  delightful,  in  fact ! "  cried  Elizabeth,  clap- 
ping her  little  hands.  "  How  will  Miinnich  curse  himself 
for  cruelty  which  now  comes  home  to  himself !  That  is 
very  witty  in  you,  Herr  Lestocq  ;  very  laughable,  is  it  not, 
Alexis  ?  But,  Alexis,  you  do  not  laugh  at  all ;  you  look 
sad.  What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  Who  has  disobliged, 
who  has  wounded  you  ?  " 

Alexis  sighed.  "  You  yourself ! "  he  said,  in  a  low 
tone. 

"  I  ?  "  exclaimed  the  astonished  empress.  "  I  could  not 
be  so  inhuman  !  " 

"  No,  only  to  wound  me  by  refusing  the  first  request  I 
addressed  to  you  !  " 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  235 ;  Mannstein,  Memoires,  vol.  iii.,  p.  96. 


164  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Name  your  request  once  more,  I  have  forgotten  it  1  '* 
said  Elizabeth,  with  vehemence. 

Alexis  Razumovsky  fell  upon  his  knees  before  her,  and, 
imploringly  raising  his  hands,  said  : 

"  Elizabeth,  my  empress,  have  compassion  for  my  care 
and  anxiety  on  your  account ;  leave  me  not  to  tremble  for 
your  safety !  Grant  me  the  happiness  of  seeing  you  un- 
threatened  and  free  from  danger  in  your  greatness  and 
splendor  !  Oh,  Elizabeth,  listen  to  the  prayer  of  your  faith- 
ful servant — let  not  this  Anna  Leopoldowna  pass  the  bound- 
ary of  your  realm — let  not  your  most  deadly  enemy  escape  !  " 

"  Oh,  grant  his  prayer,"  cried  Lestocq,  kneeling  beside 
Alexis ;  "  there  is  wisdom  in  his  words ;  listen  to  him 
rather  than  to  the  too  great  generosity  of  your  own  heart ! 
Let  not  your  enemies  escape,  but  seize  them  while  they  are 
yet  in  your  power  !  " 

"  Elizabeth,  greatest  and  fairest  woman  on  earth,"  im- 
plored Alexis,  "  have  compassion  for  my  anxiety  ;  I  shall 
never  laugh  again,  never  be  cheerful,  if  you  allow  these 
your  most  dangerous  enemies  to  withdraw  themselves  from 
your  power !  " 

Elizabeth  bent  down  to  him  with  a  smile  of  tenderness, 
and  laid  her  left  hand  upon  his  locks,  while  with  her  right 
she  gently  raised  his  head  to  herself. 

"  Love  you  me,  then,  so  very  much,  my  Alexis,"  she 
asked,  "  that  you  suffer  with  anxiety  for  my  safety  ?  Ah, 
that  makes  me  happy — that  fills  my  whole  heart  with  joy  ! 
Only  look  at  him,  Lestocq ;  see  how  beautiful  he  is,  and 
then  say  whether  one  can  refuse  the  prayer  of  those  heaven- 
ly eyes,  those  pleading  lips  ?  " 


PUNISHMENT.  165 

"  You  will,  then,  grant  my  prayer  ?  "  exultingly  asked 
Alexis. 

"  Well,  yes,"  tenderly  responded  she,  "  since  there  is  no 
other  means  of  rendering  you  again  cheerful  and  happy,  I 
must,  indeed,  consent  to  the  fulfilment  of  your  wishes,  and 
not  let  my  enemies  quit  the  country  if  it  be  yet  possible  to 
retain  them," 

"  They  have  proceeded  by  slow  marches,  and  can  hardly 
now  have  arrived  in  Riga,  where  they  are  to  rest  several 
days,"  said  Lestocq.  "  There  will  consequently  be  time  for 
a  courier  yet  to  reach  them  with  your  counter-order." 

"  And  he  must  be  dispatched  immediately  ! "  said  Alexis, 
pressing  the  hand  of  the  empress  to  his  lips.  "  In  this 
hour  will  my  kind  and  gracious  empress  sign  the  command 
for  the  arrest  of  Anna  Leopoldowna,  her  husband,  and  her 
son ! " 

"  Already  another  signature !  "  sighed  Elizabeth.  "  How 
you  annoy  me  with  this  eternal  signing  and  countersign- 
ing !  "Will  it,  then,  never  have  an  end  ?  I  already  begin 
to  hate  my  name,  because  of  being  compelled  so  often 
to  write  it  under  your  musty  old  documents.  Why  did 
the  emperor,  my  dear  deceased  father,  give  me  so  long  a 
name? — a  shorter  one  would  now  relieve  me  of  half  my 
labor ! " 

But  in  spite  of  her  lamentirgs,  Elizabeth  nevertheless,  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  later,  subscribed  the  order  to  arrest  the 
regent,  her  husband,  and  son,  and  shut  them  up,  prelimi- 
narily, in  the  citadel  of  Riga. 

"  So  now  I  hope  you  will  again  be  happy  and  cheerful," 
said  she,  throwing  away  the  pen,  and  with  a  tender  glance 


166       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

at  Kazumovsky.     "  Come,  look  at  me — I  have  done  all  you 
wished  ;  let  us  now  be  gay  and  take  our  pleasure." 

And  while  Elizabeth  was  jesting  and  laughing  with 
Alexis,  Lestocq,  taking  the  newly- signed  order,  hurried 
away  to  dispatch  his  courier. 

At  length  they  had  reached  the  borders  of  this  feared, 
pernicious  Kussian  empire.  They  now  needed  no  longer 
to  tremble,  no  longer  to  glance  anxiously  around  them,  or 
listen  with  fear  at  the  slightest  sound.  Only  a  short  quar- 
ter of  an  hour  and  the  boundary  will  be  passed  and  liberty 
secured ! 

They  had  made  a  halt  at  a  small  public  house  near  the 
boundary.  The  horses  were  to  be  changed  there,  an^  there 
the  soldiers  of  the  escort  were  to  get  their  last  taste  of  Rus- 
sian brandy  before  crossing  the  border. 

Anna  and  her  husband  have  remained  in  the  sledge. 
She  holds  her  son  in  her  arms,  she  presses  him  to  her  bo- 
som, full  of  exulting  maternal  joy :  for  he  is  now  saved, 
this  poor  little  emperor ;  Anna  has  now  no  longer  to  fear 
that  her  son  will  be  torn  from  her — he  is  saved — he  belongs 
to  her ;  she  can  rejoice  in  his  childish  beauty,  in  the  happy 
consciousness  of  safety. 

She  has  thrown  back  the  curtains  of  the  sledge.  She 
felt  no  cold.  With  joy-beaming  eyes  she  looked  forward  to 
that  blessed  land  beyond  the  boundary!  There,  where 
upon  its  tall  staff  the  Russian  flag  floated  high  in  the  air, 
there  freedom  and  happiness  were  to  begin  for  her — there 
will  she  find  again  her  youth  and  her  maiden  dreams,  her 
cheerfulness  and  her  pleasure — there  is  freedom — golden, 
heavenly  freedom ! 


PUNISHMENT.  167 

She  is  so  happy  at  this  moment  that  she  loves  all  and 
every  one.  For  the  first  time  she  feels  a  sort  of  tenderness 
for  her  husband,  who,  patiently  bearing  all  in  silence,  had 
complained  and  wept  only  for  her.  Gently  she  reclined  her 
head  upon  his  shoulder,  and  with  a  cry  of  ecstasy  the  prince 
encircled  her  neck  with  his  arms. 

"  Oh,  my  husband,"  she  whispered,  with  overflowing 
eyes,  "  look  there,  over  there  !  There  is  our  future,  there 
will  we  seek  for  happiness.  Perhaps  we  may  unitedly  find 
it  in  the  same  path,  for  we  have  here  a  sweet  bond  to 
hold  our  hands  together.  Look  at  him,  your  son.  Ulrich, 
you  are  the  father  of  my  child  !  Grant  my  heart  only  a 
little  repose,  and  perhaps  we  may  yet  be  happy  with  each 
other." 

Prince  Ulrich's  eyes  were  suffused  with  tears ;  he  ex- 
perienced a  moment  of  the  purest  happiness.  He  impressed 
a  kiss  upon  the  brow  of  his  wife,  and  in  a  low  tone  called 
her  by  the  tenderest  names. 

The  child  awoke  and  smilingly  looked  up  from  Anna's 
bosom  to  both  of  his  parents.  Anna  lifted  up  the  little 
Ivan. 

"  Look  there,  my  son,"  said  she — "  there  you  will  no 
longer  be  an  emperor,  but  you  will  have  the  right  to  be  a 
free  and  happy  man.  No  crown  awaits  you  there,  but  free- 
dom, worth  more  than  all  the  crowns  of  the  world." 

Little  Ivan  exultingly  stretched  forth  his  tiny  arms,  as 
if  he  would  draw  down  to  his  childish  heart  this  future  and 
this  freedom  so  highly  lauded  by  his  mother. 

And,  like  the  child,  the  parents  looked  smilingly  out 
upon  the  broad  expanse  that  stretched  away  before  them. 


168  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Look  only  forward,  constantly  forward,  where  the  skies 
are  clear,  and  dream  of  happiness !  Look  forward — no, 
turn  not  backward  your  glance,  for  the  horizon  darkens  in 
your  rear  ;  misfortune  is  closely  following  upon  your  track ! 
You  see  it  not,  you  look  only  forward,  and  still  you  smile. 

It  draws  nearer  and  nearer,  this  black  cloud  of  evil.  It 
is  the  ravens,  the  booty-scenting  ravens  who  are  following 
you! 

Look  forward,  dream  yourselves  happy,  and  smile  yet. 
What  would  it  help  you  to  look  back  ?  You  cannot  escape 
the  calamity. 

Nearer  and  nearer,  with  a  wild  cry,  rush  on  these  ravens 
of  misfortune ;  the  air  already  bears  detached  sounds  to 
Anna's  ears. 

She  trembles.  It  is  as  if  her  boding  soul  scented  the 
approaching  evil.  Pressing  her  child  closer  to  her  bosom, 
she  gives  her  husband  her  hand. 

The  horses  are  attached  to  the  sledge,  and  the  soldiers 
leave  the  public  house.  All  is  ready  for  the  train  to  go  on 
over  the  boundary.  The  postilions  draw  the  rein  !  Now  a 
wild  cry  of. "Halt!  halt!" 

The  soldiers  bear  up,  the  postilions  halt ! 

"  Forward  !  forward  !  "  shrieks  Prince  Ulrich,  in  mortal 
anguish. 

"  Halt !  in  the  name  of  the  empress  !  "  cried  an  officer 
who  came  rushing  past  upon  a  foaming  steed,  and  he  hand- 
ed to  the  commander  of  the  escort  an  open  writing,  fur- 
nished with  the  imperial  seal. 

The  commander  turned  to  the  postilions. 

"  To  the  right  about,  toward  Riga ! "  ordered  he,  and 


THE  PALACE  OP  THE  EMPRESS.  169 

then,  turning  to  the  trembling  princely  pair,  he  said  :  "  In 
the  name  of  the  empress,  you  are  my  prisoners  !  I  am  direct- 
ed to  conduct  you  to  the  citadel  of  Riga ! " 

With  a  loud  groan,  Anna  sinks  into  the  arms  of  her 
husband.  He  consoles  her  with  the  most  soothing  and  af- 
fectionate words ;  he  has  thought,  sorrow,  only  for  her — he 
feels  not  for  himself,  but  only  for  her. 

For  a  moment  Anna  was  overpowered  by  this  unexpected 
horror;  then  she  calmly  rose  erect,  and  pressed  her  son 
more  closely  to  her  bosom. 

"  We  are  all  lost,"  whispered  she,  "  prisoners  forever ! 
Poor  child — poor,  unhappy  husband  !  " 

"Despair  not,"  said  Prince  XJlrich,  "all  may  yet  turn 
out  well !     Who  knows  how  soon  aid  may  reach  us ! "         » 

Anna  lightly  shook  her  head,  and,  thinking  of  the  last 
words  of  her  friend,  she  murmured  low:  "Punishment 
passes,  but  love  remains ! " 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    PALACE    OF   THE    EMPRESS. 

The  new  empress,  Elizabeth,  had  rewarded  and  pun- 
ished, and  with  that  she  thought  she  had  finished  her 
imperial  labors  and  forever  dismissed  all  her  difficulties. 

"  I  have  shaken  off  my  imperial  burdens,"  said  she  to 
her  friends ;  "  let  us  now  begin  to  enjoy  the  imperial  pleas- 
ures. Ah  !  we  shall  lead  a  pleasant  life  in  this  splendid 
palace.  My  first  law  is  this  :  No  one  shall  speak  to  me  of 
12 


170  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

government  business  or  state  affairs.  I  will  have  nothing 
to  do  with  such  things,  do  you  hear  ?  For  what  purpose  do 
I  have  my  ministers  and  my  council  ?  Go  you  with  such 
wearisome  questions  to  my  grand  chancellor,  Tscherkaskoy, 
and  my  minister,  Bestuscheff ;  they  shall  govern  for  me.  I 
can  demand  that  of  them,  as  I  pay  them  for  it.  If  you  seek 
an  office,  if  you  have  invented  any  thing  for  promoting  the 
welfare  of  the  country,  if  you  have  found  any  official  abuse, 
or  discovered  any  conspiracy,  then  go  to  Bestuscheff  or  to 
Woronzow,  or  also  to  Lestocq — spare  me  !  But  when  you 
have  a  grace  to  demand,  when  you  need  money,  when  you 
desire  a  title  or  orders,  then  come  to  me,  and  I  will  satisfy 
your  wishes.  We  have  much  money,  many  ribbons  for  or- 
ders, and  as  for  titles,  they  are  the  cheapest  and  most  conven- 
ient of  all,  as  they  cost  absolutely  nothing.  Ah,  a  jest  just 
now  occurs  to  me.  We  will  amuse  ourselves  a  little  to-day. 
We  will  have  a  title-auction.  Call  our  courtiers,  attend- 
ants, and  servants.  We  shall  have  a  gay  time  of  it !  We 
will  have  a  game  at  dice.  Bring  the  dice  !  I  will  at  each 
throw  announce  the  prize,  and  the  dice  shall  then  decide 
who  is  the"  winner  !  " 

They  all  gathered  around  her  ;  the  noble  gentlemen  of 
her  body-guard,  consisting  of  the  grenadiers  who  had  been 
raised  to  nobility  and  created  officers  at  the  commencement 
of  her  reign.  They  came  noisily,  with  singing  and  laugh- 
ing, and  saluting  their  empress,  Elizabeth,  with  a  thunder- 
ing viva. 

"  First  of  all,  let  us  drink  your  health,  sir  captain  !  "  said 
she,  ordering  wine  to  be  brought,  as  well  as  brandy  of  the 
costly  sort  she  had  lately  received  as  a  present  from  the 


THE  PALACE  OP  THE  EMPRESS.  171 

greatest  distiller  of  her  capital,  to  which  she  herself  was  yery 
partial. 

Loudly  clinked  their  glasses,  loudly  was  shouted  a  viva 
to  the  empress,  which  Elizabeth  laughingly  accepted  by  of- 
fering them  her  hands  to  kiss,  and  was  delighted  when  they 
fell  into  ecstasies  over  the  beauty  and  freshness  of  those 
hands. 

"  Now,  silence,  gentlemen  of  the  body-guard ! "  she 
cried.     "  I,  your  captain,  command  attention  !  " 

And,  when  silence  was  established,  she  continued : 
"  We  will  have  a  game  at  dice,  and  titles  and  orders,  gold 
and  brandy,  shall  be  the  prizes  for  which  you  shall  con- 
tend ! " 

"  Ah,  that  is  magnificent,  that  is  a  glorious  game !  "  ex- 
claimed they  all. 

"  The  first  prize,"  said  Elizabeth,  "  is  the  position  of 
privy  councillor  !     Now  take  the  dice,  gentlemen  ! " 

They  began  to  throw  the  dice,  with  laughter  and  shout- 
ing when  they  had  thrown  a  high  number — with  lamenta- 
tions and  stamping  of  the  feet  when  it  was  a  low  one. 

In  the  meanwhile  Elizabeth  listlessly  stretched  herself 
upon  a  divan,  and  laughingly  said  to  Alexis,  who  sat  by 
her  side  :  "  Oh,  it  is  very  pleasant  to  be  an  empress.  Only 
see  how  happy  they  all  are,  and  it  is  I  alone  who  make  them 
so  ;  for  out  of  these  common  soldiers  1  have  created  respect- 
able officers,  and  have  converted  serfs  into  barons  and  gen- 
tlemen !  I  thank  you,  Alexis,  for  impelling  me  to  become 
an  empress.  It  is  a  noble  pleasure,  and  I  should  now  be 
unwilling  to  return  to  that  still  and  uneventful  life  that  for- 
merly pleased  me  so  well  !     I  will  so  manage   that  the  Em- 


172      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

press  Elizabeth  shall  be  as  little  troubled  with  labor  and 
business  as  the  princess,  and  the  empress  can  doubtlessly 
procure  for  herself  more  pleasures  than  could  the  princess ! 
Yes,  certainly,  I  will  now  remain  what  I  am,  an  empress  by 
the  grace  of  God  !  " 

A  thundering  shout  and  loud  laughter  here  interrupted 
Elizabeth.  The  dice  had  decided  !  "  The  cook  of  the  em- 
press had  won,  and  become  a  councillor  of  state. 

Elizabeth  laughed.  "  These  dice  are  very  witty,"  said 
she,  "  for  certainly  the  cook  must  be  a  privy  councillor !  I 
establish  you  in  your  dignity,  Feodor,  your  title  is  recog- 
nized !  Now  for  a  new  trial.  Two  thousand  rubles  is  the 
prize,  which  I  think  of  more  value  than  a  title ! " 

There  was  a  zealous  pressing  and  shoving,  a  pushing 
and  puffing ;  every  one  desired  to  be  the  first  to  get  hold  of 
the  dice  and  struggle  for  the  rich  prize.  There  were  many 
ungentle  encounters,  many  a  thrust  in  the  ribs,  many  in- 
vectives, many  a  gross,  unseemly  word  ;  the  empress  saw  all, 
heard  all,  laughed  at  all,  and  said  to  Alexis :  "  These  gen- 
tlemen are  very  practical !  Two  thousand  rubles  are  esti- 
mated by  them  at  a  higher  rate  than  the  proudest  title  !  I 
comprehend  that  a  title  is  a  nonsensical  thing,  of  which  no 
real  use  can  be  made,  but  what  beautiful  dresses  can  be 
bought  with  two  thousand  rubles !  And  that  reminds  me 
that  you  have  not  yet  told  me  how  you  like  this  dress  of 
mine  !  You  take  so  little  notice  of  my  toilet,  dearest,  and 
yet  it  is  only  for  you  that  I  change  my  dress  seven  or  eight 
times  a  day ;  I  would,  every  hour,  please  you  better  and 
better." 

"  Oh,  no   dressing  is  necessary  for  that,"   tenderly  re- 


THE  PALACE  OP  THE  EMPIIESS.  173 

sponded  Alexis ;  and  stooping,  he  whispered  some  words 
in  her  ear  which  pleased  her  well,  and  made  her  laugh 
heartily. 

Meanwhile  the  dicing  continued.  Blind  luck  scattered 
her  gifts  in  the  strangest  manner;  under-officers  of  the 
palace  attained  to  high  titles,  and  high  oflBcers  with  laugh- 
ing faces  won  pipes  of  brandy ;  barons  of  the  body-guard 
made  of  men  who  but  a  few  days  before  had  been  serfs, 
were  seen  approaching  the  mirrors  with  vain  coxcombry  to 
see  the  effect  of  orders  just  won  by  a  cast  of  the  dice,  or 
with  greedy  avidity  pocketing  the  rubles  which  fortune  had 
thrown  to  them ! 

It  was  a  jovial  and  brilliant  evening,  and,  in  dismissing 
her  friends,  Elizabeth  promised  them  many  repetitions 
of  it. 

And  she  kept  her  word.  Frenzied  merry-makings, 
pleasures  and  festivals  of  the  roughest  sorts  were  now  the 
principal  occupation  of  the  new  empress.  The  amusement 
of  her  court,  the  providing  if  with  new  festivals  and  pleas- 
ures, she  considered  as  the  first  and  most  important  of  her 
imperial  duties ;  and  these  alone  she  endeavored  to  fulfil. 

But  who  composed  her  court,  and  of  what  elements  did 
it  consist  ? 

Elizabeth  found  the  presence  of  her  serious  official 
councillors  very  tiresome,  as  they  knew  not  how  to  make 
themselves  agreeable ;  she  found  the  surrounding  of  herself 
with  the  respectable  ladies  of  her  court  to  be  very  incom- 
modious, as  there  might  some  day  be  found  among  them 
one  with  a  handsomer  or  more  tasteful  toilet  than  herself, 
or,  indeed,  one  who  might  dare  to  be  of  a  finer  type  of 


174  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

beauty  than  she !  She  therefore  gladly  avoided  inviting  the 
distinguished  men  of  her  court  with  their  wives,  or  the 
higher  class  of  state  officials.  It  was  far  more  convenient, 
far  more  agreeable,  to  surround  herself  with  frivolous  and 
handsome  young  men.  They  knew  how  to  laugh  and  be 
cheerful,  and  she  was  thus  sure  that  no  other  lady  would  be 
there  to  dispute  with  her  the  palm  of  beauty. 

Elizabeth  was  not  proud.  She  cared  not  whether  noble 
blood  flowed  in  the  veins  of  those  who  were  invited  to  her 
festivals.  The  youth,  beauty,  and  agreeable  qualities  which 
the  empress  found  in  any  person,  alone  decided  the  ques- 
tion of  their  admittance  to  the  court. 

Peasants,  grooms,  soldiers,  servants,  abandoned  repro- 
bates, who  by  their  beauty  had  won  the  favor  of  the  em- 
press, were  seen  to  attain  to  the  highest  stations.* 

On  them  were  lavished  the  treasures  of  the  state ;  they 
were  adorned  with  orders  and  titles,  and  the  magnates 
bowed  to  the  ground  before  these  potent  favorites  of  the  all- 
powerful  empress,  and  the  people  shouted  with  transport 
when  their  beloved  czarina,  with  her  magnificent  train  of 
newly-created  noblemen,  made  her  appearance  in  the  streets, 
and  with  gracious  smiles  returned  the  humble  salutations 
of  her  kneeling  slaves.  That  was  a  ruler  in  perfect  accord- 
ance with  Russian  ideas ;  they  sympathized  with  her  incli- 
nations and  pleasures — she  was  blood  of  their  blood  and 
flesh  of  their  flesh  !  The  strangers  were  at  length  banished, 
and  a  real  Eussian  sat  upon  the  throne  of  the  czars ! 

And  yet  Elizabeth  trembled  upon  her  imperial  throne, 

*  Schlosser's  "  Geschichte  des  Achtzehnten  Yahrhunderts." 
Zweiter  Band,  s.  5G,  folg. ;  211,  folg. 


THE  PALACE  OP  THE  EMPRESS.  175 

surrounded  by  the  band  of  magnates  and  nobles  of  whom 
she  could  truly  say,  "  I  am  their  creator — they  are  my 
work ! "  She  trembled  before  those  secret  daggers,  those 
lingering  poisons,  which  always  surround  the  imperial  Rus- 
sian throne  as  its  truest  satellites,  and  lay  low  many  a  high- 
born head ;  she  trembled  before  Anna  Leopoldowna,  who 
was  sighing  away  her  days  in  the  closed  citadel  of  Riga,  and 
before  Anna's  son,  the  infant  Ivan,  whom  the  Empress 
Anna  in  her  testament  had  named  as  Emperor  of  all  the 
Russias  !  She,  indeed,  would  not  work  and  trouble  herself 
for  her  country  and  her  people,  this  good  empress  by  the 
grace  of  God,  but  yet  she  would  be  empress,  that  she  might 
be  enabled  to  enjoy  life,  and  no  cloud  must  obscure  the 
heaven  of  her  earthly  glory ! 

She  therefore  tore  herself  for  some  short  hours  from  the 
pleasures  in  which  she  was  usually  immersed,  from  the 
arms  of  her  lover,  the  object  of  her  deepest  interest ;  her 
own  safety  and  her  own  peace  were  concerned.  That  was 
well  worth  the  effort  to  take  the  pen  once  more  in  hand, 
and  affix  the  troublesomely  long  name  of  Elizabeth  to  some 
few  official  documents. 

She  consequently  signed  the  command  to  bring  back 
Anna  Leopoldowna  and  her  husband  from  the  citadel  of 
Riga  to  the  interior  of  Russia,  and  place  them  in  strict  con- 
finement in  Raninburg. 

She  also  signed  another  order,  and  that  was  to  rend  the 
young  Ivan  from  the  arms  of  his  mother,  to  take  him  to  the 
castle  of  Schliisselburg,  and  there  to  hold  him  in  strict  im- 
prisonment, to  grow  up  without  teachers,  or  any  kind  of  in- 
struction, and  without  the  least  occupation  or  amusement. 


176  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  I  well  know,"  said  slie,  with  a  sigh,  as  she  signed  the 
document — "  I  well  know  that  it  would  be  better  for  this 
Ivan  to  be  executed  for  high-treason  than  to  remain  in  this 
condition,  but  I  lack  tlie  courage  for  it.  It  is  so  horrible 
to  kill  a  poor,  innocent  child  !  " 

"  And  in  this  way  we  attain  our  end  more  safely,"  said 
Lestocq,  with  a  smile.  "  Your  majesty  has  sworn  to  take 
the  life  of  no  one ;  very  well,  you  keep  your  word  as  to 
physical  life — we  do  not  destroy  the  body  but  the  spirit  of 
this  boy  Ivan !  We  raise  him  as  an  idiot,  which  is  the 
surest  means  of  rendering  him  innoxious  !  " 

Elizabeth  had  signed  the  order,  and  her  command  was 
executed.  They  took  from  Anna  Leopoldowna  her  last  joy, 
her  only  consolation — they  took  away  her  son,  whose  smil- 
ing face  had  lighted  her  prison  as  with  sunbeams,  whose 
childishly  stammered  words  had  sounded  to  her  as  the  voice 
of  an  angel  from  heaven. 

They  took  the  poor  weeping  child  to  Schliisselburg,  and 
his  crushed  and  heart-broken  parents  first  to  Raninburg, 
and  finally  to  the  fortress  Kolmogory,  situated  upon  an  is- 
land in  the  Dwina,  near  to  that  gulf  which,  on  account  of 
its  never-melting  ice,  has  obtained  the  name  of  the  White 
Sea.* 

No  one  could  rescue  poor  Anna  Leopoldowna  from  that 
fortress — no  one  could  release  her  son,  the  poor  little  Em- 
peror Ivan,  from  Schliisselburg !  They  were  rendered  per- 
fectly inoffensive ;  Elizabeth  had  not  killed  them,  she  had 
only  buried  them  alive,  this  good  Russian  empress ! 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  233. 


THE  PALACE  OP  THE  EMPRESS.  1Y7 

And,  nevertheless,  she  still  trembled  upon  her  throne, 
she  still  felt  unsafe  in  her  imperial  magnificence  !  She  yet 
trembled  on. account  of  another  pretender,  the  Duke  Karl 
Peter  Ulrich  of  Holstein,  who,  as  the  son  of  an  elder  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  the  Great,  had  a  more  direct  claim  to  the 
throne  than  Elizabeth  herself. 

That  no  party  might  declare  for  him  and  invite  him  to 
Russia,  her  ministers  advised  the  empress  herself  to  send 
for  him,  and  declare  him  her  successor.  Elizabeth  followed 
this  advice,  and  the  young  Duke  Peter  Ulrich  of  Holstein 
accepted  her  call.  Declining  the  crown  of  Sweden,  he  pro- 
fessed the  Greek  religion  in  St.  Petersburg,  was  clothed 
with  the  title  of  grand  prince  by  Elizabeth,  and  declared 
her  successor  to  the  throne  of  the  czars. 

Elizabeth  could  now  undisturbedly  enjoy  her  imperial 
splendor.  The  successor  to  the  throne  was  assured,  Anna 
Leopoldowna  languished  in  the  fortress  of  Kolmogory,  and 
in  Schliisselburg  the  little  Emperor  Ivan  was  passing  his 
childish  dream-life  !  Who  was  there  now  to  contest  her 
rights — who  would  dare  an  attempt  to  shake  a  throne  which 
rested  upon  such  safe  pillars  of  public  favor,  and  which  so 
many  new-made  counts  and  barons  protected  with  their 
broad  shoulders  and  nervous  arms  ? 

Elizabeth  had  no  more  need  to  govern,  no  more  occa- 
sion to  tremble.  She  let  sink  the  hand  which,  with  a  single 
stroke  of  the  pen,  could  give  laws  to  millions  of  men,  which 
could  give  them  interminable  sorrow  and  endless  torments ; 
she  again  took  the  heavy  imperial  crown  from  her  head,  re- 
placing it  with  wreaths  of  myrtles  and  ever-fragrant  roses. 
She  permitted  Tscherkaskoy  to  govern,  and  Bestuscheff  to 


1Y8      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

sell  to  England  the  dearest  interests  of  Russia.  She  per- 
mitted her  ministers  to  govern  with  unrestricted  power,  and 
was  rejoiced  when  no  one  came  to  trouble  her  about  affairs 
of  state  or  the  interests  of  her  people. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ELEONORE    LAPUSCHKIN. 

Two  years  had  elapsed  since  Elizabeth's  accession  to  the 
throne ;  for  her,  two  years  of  pleasure  and  enjoyment,  only 
troubled  here  and  there  with  occasional  small  clouds  of  ill- 
humor — but  those  clouds  overshadowed  only  her  domestic 
peace.  It  was  not  the  affairs  of  state,  not  the  interests  of 
her  people,  that  troubled  and  saddened  Elizabeth ;  she 
asked  not  how  many  of  her  subjects  the  war  with  Sweden 
had  swept  away ;  how  many  had  fallen  a  sacrifice  to  hunger 
in  the  southern  provinces  of  her  realm.  She  had  quite 
other  cares  and  anxieties  than  those  which  concerned  only 
her  ministers,  not  herself.  What  have  princes  to  do  with 
the  happiness  of  their  people. 

Elizabeth  was  a  consummate  princess ;  she  thought  only 
of  her  own  happiness,  only  of  herself  and  her  own  sorrows. 
And  it  was  a  very  severe,  very  incurable  sorrow  that  visited 
her — a  sorrow  that  often  brought  tears  of  anger  into  her 
eyes  and  curses  upon  her  lips.  Elizabeth  was  jealous — jeal- 
ous not  of  this  or  that  woman,  but  of  the  whole  sex.  She 
glowingly  desired  to  be  the  fairest  of  all  women,  and  con- 
stantly trembled  lest  some  one  should  come  to  rob  her  of 


ELEONORE  LAPUSCIIKIN.  179 

the  prize  of  beauty.  And  were  there  not,  in  her  own  court, 
•  women  who  might  venture  to  enter  the  lists  with  her  ? 
Was  there  not,  before  all,  one  woman  whose  aspect  filled  the 
heart  of  the  empress  with  a  thirst  for  vengeance,  of  whom 
she  was  compelled  to  say  that  she  was  younger,  handsomer, 
and  more  attractive  than  herself — and  this  one,  was  it  not 
Eleonore  Lapuschkin  ? 

For  two  long  years  had  Elizabeth  borne  about  with  her 
this  hatred  and  jealousy ;  for  two  long  years  had  she  in 
vain  sought  to  discover  some  punishable  fault  in  her  rival ; 
for  two  long  years  had  she  in  vain  reminded  Lestocq  of  his 
promise  to  find  Eleonore  Lapuschkin  guilty  of  some  crime. 
She  had  come  out  pure  from  all  these  persecuting  pursuits, 
and  even  the  eyes  of  the  most  zealous  spy  could  find  no  blot 
upon  her  escutcheon.  Like  a  royal  lily  she  proudly  bloomed 
with  undisputed  splendor  in  the  midst  of  this  court,  whose 
petty  cabals  and  intrigues  could  not  soil  her  fair  fame. 
Her  presence  spread  around  her  a  sort  of  magic.  The  most 
audacious  courtier,  the  most  presumptuous  cavalier,  ap- 
proached her  with  only  reverence ;  they  ventured  not  in 
her  presence  to  use  such  words  and  jests  as  but  too  well 
pleased  the  empress ;  there  was  something  in  Eleonore's 
glance  that  commanded  involuntary  respect  and  awe;  an 
elevation,  a  mildness,  a  soft  feminine  majesty  was  shed  over 
her  whole  being  that  enchanted  even  those  who  were  inim- 
ical to  her.  Elizabeth  had  perceived  that,  with  her  eyes 
sharpened  by  jealousy;  her  envy  was  yet  more  mighty 
than  her  vanity,  and  her  envy  told  her  Eleonore  Lapuschkin 
is  handsomer  than  the  Empress  Elizabeth  ;  wherever  Eleo- 
nor  appears,  there  all  hearts  fly  to  meet  her,  all  glances  in- 


180      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

cline  to  her ;  every  one  feels  a  sort  of  ecstasy  of  adoration 
whom  she  greets  with  a  word  or  a  smile,  for  that  word  or 
that  smile  sanctifies  him  as  it  were,  and  enrolls  him  among 
the  noblest  and  best. 

And  even  Alexis  had  been  unable  to  withstand  this 
magic !  Oh,  Elizabeth  narrowly  watched  him ;  she  had 
analyzed  his  every  word  and  every  glance;  she  had  seen 
how  he  always  pressed  near  her,  how  he  blushed  with  joy 
when  she  remarked  his  presence  and  returned  his  saluta- 
tion! Yea,  she,  and  perhaps  only  she,  had  seen  Alexis 
covertly  possess  himself  of  the  glove  which  Eleonore  had 
lost  the  previous  evening  at  the  grand  court  ball,  had  seen 
him  press  that  glove  to  his  lips  and  afterward  conceal  it  in 
his  bosom. 

As  Elizabeth  thought  of  these  things  her  eyes  filled  with 
tears,  and  her  whole  form  shook  with  rage.  She  felt  unable 
to  be  angry  with  or  to  punish  him,  but  she  was  resolved 
that  Eleonore  Lapuschkin  should  feel  the  whole  weight  of 
her  vengeance. 

"  Oh,"  said  she,  while  pacing  her  boudoir  in  a  state  of 
violent  excitement,  "  I  shall  know  how  to  punish  this  pre- 
sumptuous woman !  She  ventures  to  defy  me,  but  I  will 
humble  her !  Ha,  does  she  not  give  herself  the  appearance 
of  not  remarking  that  I  constantly  have  for  her  a  clouded 
brow  and  an  unfriendly  greeting  ?  How  !  will  she  not  take 
the  pains  to  see  that  her  empress  looks  upon  her  with  dis- 
favor? But  she  shall  see  and  feel  that  I  hate,  that  I  abhor 
her.  Oh,  what  a  powerless  creature  is  yet  an  empress !  I 
hate  this  woman,  and  she  has  the  impudence  to  think  I 
cannot  punish  her  unless  she  is  guilty." 


ELEONORE   LAPUSCHKIN.  181 

And  weeping  aloud,  Elizabeth  threw  herself  upon  the 
divan.  A  low  knock  at  the  door  recalled  her  attention 
from  her  angry  grief.  Rising,  she  bade  the  person  at  the 
door  to  enter. 

It  was  Lestocq,  the  privy  councillor  and  president — 
Lestocq,  the  confidant  of  the  empress,  who  came  with  a 
joyful  face  and  cheerful  smile. 

Elizabeth  felt  annoyed  by  this  cheerfulness  of  her 
physician.  With  an  angry  frown  she  turned  her  back 
upon  him. 

"  "Why  were  you  not  at  the  court  ball  last  evening  ?  "  she 
then  roughly  said. 

"  I  was  there,"  answered  Lestocq. 

"Ah,  that  is  not  true,"  cried  the  empress  with  vehe- 
mence, glad  at  least  to  have  some  one  on  whom  she  could 
discharge  her  anger.  "  It  is  false,  I  say ;  no  one  saw  you 
there !  Ah,  you  dare,  then,  to  impose  a  falsehood  upon  your 
empress?    You  would — " 

"  I  was  at  the  court  ball,"  interposed  Lestocq ;  "  I  saw 
and  noted  all  that  occurred  there.  I  saw  that  my  empress 
beamed  in  all  the  splendor  of  beauty,  and  yet  with  her  ami- 
able modesty  she  thought  Eleonore  Lapuschkin  handsomer 
than  herself.  I  read  in  Elizabeth's  noble  brow  that  she  was 
pained  by  this,  and  that  she  promised  to  punish  the  pre- 
sumption of  the  insolent  countess." 

"  And  to  what  end  have  you  read  all  that,"  responded 
Elizabeth,  with  vehemence,  "  to  what  end,  since  you  are  so 
sluggish  a  servant  that  you  make  no  effort  to  fulfil  any  wish 
of  your  mistress?  To  what  end,  since  you  are  so  disregard- 
ful  of  your  word  as  not  to  hold  even  your  oath  sacred  ?  " 


182      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  I  was  at  the  ball  precisely  because  I  remembered  my 
oath,"  said  Lestocq,  "  because  I  was  intent  upon  redeeming 
my  word  and  delivering  over  to  you  this  Countess  Lapusch- 
kin  as  a  criminal !  But  you  could  not  recognize  me,  as  I 
was  in  the  disguise  of  a  lackey  of  the  Countess  Eleonore 
Lapuschkin." 

Elizabeth  springing  up  from  her  seat,  stared  with 
breathless  curiosity  into  Lestocq's  face. 

"  "Well  ? "  she  anxiously  asked,  as  Lestocq  remained 
silent.     "  Speak  on ;  then  what  further  ?  " 

"  Illustrious  empress,"  said  Lestocq,  "  I  am  now  here  to 
redeem  my  word.  This  Countess  Eleonore  Lapuschkin  is  a 
criminal ! " 

"  Ah,  thank  God ! "  cried  Elizabeth,  breathing  more  freely. 

"  By  various  intrigues  and  stratagems,  by  bribery  of  her 
servants,  I  have  finally  succeeded  in  spying  out  her  secrets, 
and  last  evening,  when  as  her  lackey  I  conducted  her  from 
the  ball  and  afterward  waited  at  table  at  an  entertainment 
given  by  her  husband  to  some  confidential  friends,  last 
evening  her  whole  plan  was  made  clear  to  me.  It  is  a  great 
and  very  important  conspiracy  that  I  have  detected  !  This 
Countess' Eleonore  Lapuschkin  is  guilty  of  high-treason; 
she  conspires  against  her  legitimate  empress  !  " 

"  Ah,  she  conspires ! "  exclaimed  Elizabeth,  with  a  fierce 
laugh.     "  For  whom,  then,  does  she  conspire  ?  " 

"  For  one  whose  name  I  dare  not  utter  without  the  ex- 
press permission  of  my  empress ! " 

"  Speak,  speak  quickly ! " 

Lestocq  bent  down  close  to  the  ear  of  the  empress.  "  She 
conspires  for  the  Schliisselburg  prisoner  Ivan ! "  said  he. 


ELEONORE  LAPUSCHKIN.  183 

"  I  shall  therefore  be  able  to  punish  her,"  said  Elizabeth, 
smilingly.  "I  shall  no  longer  be  obliged  to  suffer  this 
hated  woman  within  the  walls  of  my  capital !" 

"  Siberia  has  room  for  her  and  her  fellow-conspirators ! " 
replied  Lestocq.  "  For  this  fair  countess  is  not  alone 
guilty,  although  she  is  the  soul  of  the  conjuration,  as  it  is 
love  that  animates  her.  Eleonore  Lapuschkin  conspires 
for  her  lover ! " 

"  Oh,  this  adored  saint  has,  then,  a  lover ! "  exclaimed 
the  empress.  "  And  I  believed  her  spotless  as  a  lily,  so  pure 
that  I  felt  abashed  in  her  presence ! " 

"  You  have  banished  her  lover  to  Siberia,  the  lover  of 
Eleonore,  Count  Lowenwald.  You  may  believe  that  that 
has  caused  her  a  mortal  grief." 

"  Ah,"  joyfully  exclaimed  Elizabeth,  "  I  have,  therefore, 
unknowingly  caused  her  tears  to  flow  !  But  I  will  yet  do 
it  with  a  perfect  consciousness !  Relate  to  me  in  detail 
exactly  what  you  know  of  this  conspiracy ! " 

And  Lestocq  related  that  Eleonore  Lapuschkin,  in  con- 
nection with  her  husband,  the  chamberlain  Lilienfeld,  and 
Madame  Bestuscheff,  who  was  the  sister  of  the  condemned 
Golopkin,  had  entered  into  a  conspiracy  for  the  overthrow 
of  Elizabeth  and  the  placing  of  Ivan  upon  the  throne,  and 
thus  releasing  the  prisoners  banished  to  Siberia. 

"  Oh,  they  were  very  gay  at  the  yesterday's  dinner  of  the 
conspirators,"  said  Lestocq.  "  The  husband  of  Countess 
Lapuschkin  even  ventured  to  drink  the  health  of  the  Em- 
peror Ivan,  and  to  his  speedy  liberation  ! "  * 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  241, 


184:       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  But  that  is  high-treason ! "  exclaimed  Elizabeth. 
"  Ah,  I  had  cause  to  tremble  and  eternally  to  stand  in  fear 
of  my  murderers  !  I  already  see  them  lurking  around  me, 
encircling  me  on  all  sides,  to  destroy  me !  Lestocq,  save 
me  from  my  murderers !  " 

And  with  a  cry  of  anguish  the  empress  clung  convul- 
sively to  the  arm  of  her  physician. 

"  The  incautiousness  of  these  conspirators  has  already 
saved  you,  empress,"  said  Lestocq.  "  They  have  delivered 
themselves  into  our  hand,  they  have  made  us  masters  of  the 
situation.  What  would  you  more  ?  You  will  punish  the 
traitors ;  that  is  all !  " 

"  And  I  cannot  kill  them ! "  shrieked  Elizabeth,  with 
closed  fists.  "  I  have  tied  my  own  hands  in  my  unwise  gen- 
erosity !  Ah,  they  call  me  an  empress,  and  yet  I  cannot 
destroy  those  I  hate ! " 

"And  who  denies  you  that  right?"  asked  Lestocq. 
"  Destroy  their  bodies,  but  kill  them  not !  "Wherefore  have 
we  the  knout,  if  it  cannot  flay  the  back  of  a  beauty  ?  " 

"  Yes,  wherefore  have  we  the  knout  ?  "  exclaimed  Eliza- 
beth, with  a  joyous  laugh.  "  Ah,  Lestocq,  you  are  an  ex- 
quisite man,  you  always  give  good  advice.  Ah,  this  beauti- 
ful Countess  Eleonore  shall  be  made  acquainted  with  the 
knout ! " 

"  You  have  a  double  right  for  it,"  said  Lestocq,  "  for 
she  has  dared  to  speak  of  your  majesty  in  unseemly  lan- 
guage ! " 

" Has  she  done  that?"  cried  Elizabeth.  "  Ah,  I  almost 
love  her  for  it,  as  that  gives  me  the  right  to  chastise  her. 
Lestocq,  what  punishment  is  prescribed  for  a  subject  who 


ELEONORE  LAPUSCHKIN.  185 

dares  revile  his  empress  ?  You  must  know  it,  you  are  fa- 
miliar with  the  laws !  Therefore  tell  me  quickly,  what 
punishment  ?  " 

"  It  is  written,"  said  Lestocq,  after  a  moment's  reflec- 
tion, "  that  any  one  who  dares  so  misuse  his  tongue  as  to 
revile  the  sublime  majesty  of  his  emperor  or  empress  with 
irreverent  language,  such  criminal  shall  have  the  instru- 
ment of  his  crime,  his  tongue,  torn  out  by  the  roots ! " 

"  And  this  time  I  will  exercise  no  mercy  ! "  triumphant- 
ly exclaimed  Elizabeth, 

She  kept  her  word — she  exercised  no  mercy  !  Count 
Lapuschkin,  with  his  fair  wife,  the  wife  of  Bestuscheff,  the 
Chamberlain  Lilienfeld,  and  some  others,  were  accused  of 
high-treason  and  brought  before  the  tribunal. 

It  was  not  difficult  to  convict  the  countess  of  the  crime 
charged ;  incautiously  enough  had  she  often  expressed  her 
attachment  to  the  cause  of  the  imprisoned  Emperor  Ivan, 
and  her  contempt  for  the  Empress  Elizabeth.  And  in 
what  country  is  it  not  a  crime  to  speak  disrespectfully  of 
the  prince,  though  he  be  a  criminal  and  one  of  the  lowest 
of  men  ? 

She  was  therefore  declared  guilty  ;  she  was  sentenced  to 
be  scourged  with  the  knout,  to  have  her  tongue  torn  out, 
and  to  be  transported  to  Siberia ! 

Elizabeth  did  not  pardon  her.  She  was  a  princess — 
how,  then,  could  she  pardon  one  who  had  dared  to  revile 
her?  Every  crime  is  easier  to  pardon  than  that  of  high- 
treason  ;  for  every  other  there  may  be  extenuating  circum- 
stances— for  that,  never ;  it  is  a  capital  crime  which  a  prince 
never  pardons ;  how,  then,  could  Elizabeth  have  done  so  ? — 
13 


186      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Elizabeth,  Empress  by  the  grace  of  God,  as  all  are  princes 
and  kings  by  the  grace  of  God ! 

The  people  were  running  to  and  fro  in  the  wildest  con- 
fusion in  the  streets  of  St.  Petersburg;  they  cried  and 
shouted  vivas  to  their  empress  who  to-day  accorded  to 
them  the  splendid  spectacle  of  the  knouting  of  some  re- 
spectable ladies  and  gentlemen !  Ah,  that  was  a  very 
gracious  and  condescending  empress  to  provide  once  more 
a  delightful  spectacle  for  her  serfs  at  the  expense  of  the 
nobility !  That  was  an  empress  after  their  own  hearts — 
real  Kussian  blood  ! 

Shrieking  and  shouting  they  rushed  to  the  place  of  exe- 
cution, pressing  against  the  barriers  that  separated  the  cen- 
tral point  from  the  spectators.  There  stood  the  bearded 
assistants  of  the  executioner,  there  lay  the  knouts  and  other 
instruments,  and  with  eager  glances  the  people  devoured 
all :  they  found  all  these  preparations  admirable,  they  re- 
joiced with  unrestrained  delight  in  the  prospect  of  seeing 
the  handsomest  woman  in  the  realm  flayed  with  the  knout. 
And  not  the  common  people  alone,  the  noblesse  must  also 
be  present ;  the  great  magnates  of  the  court  must  also 
come,  if  they  would  avoid  exciting  a  suspicion  that  they 
commiserated  the  condemned  and  revolted  at  their  punish- 
ment. They  all  came,  these  slavish  magnates,  perhaps  with 
tears  in  their  hearts,  but  with  smiles  upon  their  lips ;  per- 
haps murmuring  secret  curses,  but  aloud  applauding  the 
just  sentence  of  the  empress. 

Now  the  closed  carriages  of  the  condemned  were  seen 
approaching  in  a  long,  lingering  train  ;  the  train  halted,  the 
doors  were  opened,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  place  of  «xecu- 


ELEONORE   LAPUSCHKIN.  18Y 

tion  appeared  Eleonore  Lapuschkin,  radiant  with  the  bril- 
liancy of  the  purest  beauty,  her  noble  form  enveloped  in  a 
full,  draping  robe,  which  lent  to  her  loveliness  an  additional 
charm.  She  looked  around  with  an  astonished  and  inter- 
rogating glance,  as  if  awaking  from  a  confused  dream. 
Young,  amiable,  the  first  and  most  celebrated  lady  of  the 
court,  of  which  she  was  the  most  brilliant  ornament,  she 
now  sees  herself,  instead  of  the  admirers  who  humbly  paid 
their  court  ta  her,  surrounded  by  these  rough  executioners, 
who  regard  her  with  bold  and  insolent  glances,  eagerly 
stretching  forth  their  hands  for  their  prey.  One  of  them, 
approaching  her,  ventures  to  rend  from  her  bosom  the  ker- 
chief that  covers  it.  Eleonore,  shuddering,  shrinks  back,  her 
cheeks  are  pale  as  marble,  a  stream  of  tears  gushes  from  her 
eyes.  In  vain  she  implores,  in  vain  her  lamentations,  in  vain 
her  trembling  innocence,  in  vain  her  efforts  to  cover  herself 
anew.  Her  clothes  are  torn  off,  and  in  a  few  moments  she 
stands  there  naked  to  the  girdle,  with  all  the  upper  portion 
of  her  person  exposed  to  the  eager  glances  of  the  masses, 
who  in  silence  stare  at  this  specimen  of  the  purest  feminine 
beauty. 

The  proud  lily  is  broken,  shattered ;  she  bows  her  head, 
the  storm  has  crushed  her.  Incapable  of  resistance,  she  is 
seized  by  one  of  the  executioners,  who,  by  a  sudden  move- 
ment, throws  her  upon  her  back.  Another  then  approaches 
and  places  her  in  the  most  convenient  position  for  receiving 
the  punishment.  Soon,  with  rough  brutality,  he  lays  his 
broad  hand  upon  her  head,  and  places  it  so  that  it  may  not 
be  hit  by  the  knout,  and  then,  like  a  butcher  who  is  about 
to  throttle  a  lamb,  he  caresses  that  snow-white  back,  as  if 


188      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

taking  pleasure  in  the  contemplation  of  the  wonderful  fair- 
ness of  his  victim. 

Now  is  she  in  the  right  position ;  he  steps  back,  and 
raising  the  knout,  brings  it  down  upon  Eleonore's  back 
with  such  accuracy  that  it  takes  off  a  strip  of  skin  from  her 
neck  to  her  girdle.  Then  he  swings  the  knout  anew,  with 
the  same  accuracy  and  the  same  result.  In  a  few  moments 
her  skin  hangs  in  shreds  over  her  girdle,  her  whole  form  is 
dripping  with  blood,  and  the  shuddering  spectators  venture 
not  a  single  bravo  for  this  dexterous  executioner.* 

The  work  is  finished !  With  a  flayed  back  Eleonore  is 
raised  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  executioner.  She  has  not 
screamed,  she  has  not  moaned,  she  has  remained  dumb  and 
without  complaint,  but  she  has  prayed  to  God  for  vengeance 
and  expiation  for  the  shame  inflicted  upon  her. 

And  again  advances  the  executioner,  with  a  pair  of  pin- 
cers in  his  hand.  Eleonore  looks  at  him  through  eyes  flam- 
ing with  anger. 

"  What  would  you  ?  "  she  coldly  asks. 

"  Tear  out  your  tongue  ! "  answers  he,  with  a  rude  laugh. 
Two  of  the  executioner's  assistants  then  seizing  her,  grasp 
her  head. 

This  time  Eleonore  defends  herself — despair  lends  her 
strength.  Freeing  herself  from  the  grasp  of  these  barba- 
rous executioners,  she  falls  upon  her  knees,  and,  raising  her 
bloody  arms  toward  heaven,  implores  the  mercy  of  God ; 
glancing  at  the  spectators,  she  implores  their  pity  and  their 
aid ;  turning  her  eyes  toward  the  proud  imperial  palace, 

*  L'Abbe  Chappe  d'Auteroche,  "  Voyage  en  Siberie,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  370. 


ELEONORE  LAPUSCHKIN.  JgQ 

where  Elizabeth  sits  enthroned,  she  begs  there  for  grace 
and  mercy.* 

But  as  all  remained  silent,  and  as  neither  God  nor  man, 
nor  yet  the  empress,  had  mercy  upon  her,  a  wild  rage  took 
possession  of  Eleonore's  soul. 

Kaising  her  eyes  toward  heaven  with  flaming  glances, 
she  exclaimed : 

"  Woe  to  this  merciless  Elizabeth  !  Woe  to  this  woman 
who  has  no  compassion  for  another  woman !  What  she 
now  does  to  me,  do  Thou  also  to  her,  my  God  and  Lord ! 
Grant  that  she  be  flayed  as  she  has  now  flayed  me  !  Grant 
her  a  daughter,  and  let  that  daughter  before  her  mother's 
eyes  suffer  what  I  now  suffer,  0  my  God !  Woe  to  Eliza- 
beth, and  woe  to  you,  ye  cowardly  slaves,  who  can  look  on 
and  see  a  woman  flayed  and  tortured !  Shame  and  perdi- 
tion to  Eussia  and  its  Empress  Elizabeth  ! " 

These  were  Eleonore's  last  words.  With  a  wild  rage  her 
executioners  seized  her  for  the  purpose  of  tearing  out  her 
tongue.  And  when  that  was  accomplished,  and  her  hus- 
band and  son  had  suffered  a  similar  martyrdom,  all  three 
were  placed  upon  a  kibitka,  to  be  conveyed  to  Siberia. 

Eleonore  could  no  longer  speak  with  her  tongue,  but 
her  eyes  spoke,  and  those  eyes  continued  to  repeat  the 
prayer  for  vengeance  she  had  addressed  to  Heaven  :  "  Grant 
to  this  Empress  Elizabeth  a  daughter,  and  let  that  daugh- 
ter's sufferings  be  like  mine." 

*  Levecque,  vol.  v.,  p.  242. 


190  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

A    WEDDING. 

The  people  dispersed.  The  great  returned  to  their  pal- 
aces, and  also  Alexis  Razumovsky,  who,  that  he  might  not 
excite  the  anger  of  the  empress,  had  likewise  attended  the 
execution,  returned  to  the  imperial  palace. 

Elizabeth  was  standing  before  a  large  Venetian  mirror, 
scrutinizing  a  toilet  which  she  had  to-day  changed  for  the 
fourth  time. 

"  Well,"  she  asked  of  Alexis,  as  he  entered,  "  was  it  an 
interesting  spectacle  ?  Was  the  handsome  countess  soundly 
whipped  ?  " 

And,  while  so  asking,  she  was  smilingly  occupied  in  at- 
taching a  purple  flower  to  her  hair. 

"  She  was  flayed,"  laconically  replied  Alexis.  "  Her 
blood  streamed  down  a  back  that  was  as  red  as  your  beauti- 
ful lips,  Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth  offered  him  her  lips  to  kiss. 

"Now,"  she  jestingly  asked,  "who  is  now  the  hand- 
somest woman  in  my  realm  ?  " 

"  You  are  and  always  were ! "  responded  Alexis,  embrac- 
ing her. 

"  And  now  tell  me,"  said  she,  with  curiosity,  "  what  did 
this  proud  countess  do?    How  did  she  behave,  what  did  she 


say 


9" 


Alexis,  seating  himself  upon  a  tabouret  at  her  feet,  re- 
lated to  her  all  about  the  fair  Eleonore,  and  what  a  terrible 
curse  she  uttered. 


A   WEDDING.  191 

"Ah,  nonsense!"  replied  Elizabeth, shrugging  her  shoul- 
ders, "  How  can  one  make  such  a  stupid  prayer  to  God  !  I 
shall  never  marry,  and  therefore  never  have  a  daughter  to 
be  scourged  with  the  knout." 

But  while  thus  speaking,  her  eyes  suddenly  became  fixed 
and  her  cheek  pale.  She  laid  her  trembling  hand  upon  her 
heart — tears  gushed  from  her  eyes. 

Under  her  heart  she  had  felt  the  movement  of  a 
new  and  mysterious  life !  Heaven  itself  seemed  to  con- 
tradict her  words !  Elizabeth  felt  that  she  was  a  mother, 
and  Eleonore's  words  now  filled  her  with  awe  and 
terror ! 

Fainting,  she  sank  into  Eazumovsky's  arms. 

A  few  weeks  later,  a  great  and  magnificent  court  festi- 
val was  celebrated  at  the  hnperial  palace  in  St.  Petersburg. 
It  was  not  enough  that  Elizabeth  had  chosen  a  successor  in 
the  person  of  Peter,  Duke  of  Holstein,  she  must  also  give 
this  successor  a  wife,  that  the  throne  might  be  fortified  and 
assured  by  a  numerous  progeny. 

She  chose  for  him  the  Princess  of  Anhalt-Zerbst,  the 
young  and  beautiful  Sophia  Augusta,  who,  embracing  the 
Greek  religion,  received  the  name  of  Catharine. 

It  was  the  marriage  festival  of  this  young  German 
princess  with  the  heir  to  the  Russian  throne  which  was 
celebrated  in  the  imperial  palace  at  St.  Petersburg — a  festi- 
val of  splendor  and  enthusiasm,  as  it  was  attended  by  two 
women  of  the  most  exciting  beauty,  Elizabeth  the  present 
and  Catharine  the  future  empress — the  one  gorgeous  with 
the  splendor  of  the  present,  the  other  ifradiated  with  the 
glory  of  the  future.     People  looked  at  the  fair  youthful 


192  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

face  of  Catharine,  and  sought  to  read  in  her  majestic  high 
forehead  the  hopes  that  Russia  might  cherish  of  her  !  It 
was,  therefore,  a  festival  of  the  present  and  future  that  was 
there  and  then  celebrated,  and  the  magnates  humbly  pros- 
trated themselves  before  this  new  star,  and  threw  them- 
selves upon  the  earth  before  the  ever-new  sun  of  imperial 
majesty  which  shone  upon  them  in  the  person  of  Eliza- 
beth. 

Catharine  with  a  joyful  spirit  and  a  proud  smile  laid 
her  hand  in  that  of  Peter,  and  as  she  stepped  with  him  to 
the  altar  she  thought :  "  I  do  this  that  I  may  one  day  be 
empress !  and  as  I  can  reach  that  position  in  no  other  way 
— well,  then,  let  them  call  me  the  wife  of  this  under-aged 
boy !  I  will  suffer  it  until  the  time  comes  when  I  shall  no 
longer  suffer,  but  command." 

With  such  thoughts  did  Catharine  become  the  wife  of 
the  Grrand-duke  Peter,  who,  as  he  with  a  loud  and  solemn 
"  yes  "  vowed  eternal  truth  to  his  young  wife,  looked  at  the 
Countess  Woronzow,  and  both  exchanged  a  stolen  smile  and 
a  glowing  glance  of  love. 

"They  may  henceforth  call  this  proud  Catharine  my 
wife,"  thought  Peter,  "  but  I  shall  never  love  her,  as  my 
heart  will  ever  belong  to  my  dear  Woronzow !  But  Eliza- 
beth has  decided  that  Catharine  shall  be  my  wife.  I  ac- 
commodate myself  to  her  command,  and  obey  now,  that  I 
may  one  day  command  !  But  then  woe  to  the  wife  this  day 
forced  upon  me  ! " 

And  when  the  ceremony  was  ended,  the  new-married 
pair  received  with  smiling  faces  and  radiant  glances  the 
congratulations  of  the  court,  which  in  loud  and  ecstatic  ex- 


A  WEDDING.  193 

clamations  commended  the  love  and  happiness  of  this  young 
princely  pair. 

On  the  same  day  a  second  marriage  was  celebrated  in 
this  same  imperial  palace,  perhaps  not  so  splendid,  but  cer- 
tainly a  happier  one,  for  it  was  love  that  united  the  two — 
love  had  overcome  Elizabeth's  aversion  to  marriage,  and 
decided  her  to  raise  her  dear  Alexis  Razumovsky  to  the 
position  of  her  husband — love,  and  also  a  little  supersti- 
tion! As  the  son  born  to  Elizabeth  some  months  pre- 
viously had  died  soon  after  its  birth,  and  in  this  dispensa- 
tion Elizabeth  recognized  the  punishment  of  heaven  in  dis- 
approval of  her  connection  with  Alexis,  she  shudderingly 
remembered  the  words  spoken  by  Eleonore  Lapuschkin, 
and  her  heart  was  filled  with  fear  for  the  children  which 
the  future  might  bring  to  her. 

"  I  will  destroy  the  curse  which  this  Countess  Lapusch- 
kin has  pronounced  against  my  children,"  thought  Eliza- 
beth, as  she  now  for  the  second  time  felt  herself  to  be  a 
mother.  "  If  God  blesses  my  children,  the  curse  of  no  hu- 
man being  can  affect  them,  and  this  revengeful  prayer  of 
the  countess  will  have  no  more  power  v\rhen  the  priest  of 
God  has  consecrated  and  blessed  the  child  now  quietly  re- 
posing under  my  heart ! " 

This  was  the  reason  why  Elizabeth  resolved  to  marry 
Alexis  Razumovskj  ;  this  was  the  reason  why  she,  in  a  soli- 
tary chapel,  accompanied  only  by  Lestocq  and  the  priest, 
stood  before  the  marriage-altar  with  Alexis,  and  became  his 
wife. 

She  breathed  freer  when  the  priest  had  pronounced  his 
blessing  upon  her;  an  oppressive  weight  was  lifted  from 


194      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

her  heart ;  the  child  she  was  about  to  bear  was  saved  and 
sheltered,  and  Eleonore's  curse  had  no  longer  any  power 
over  it ! 

On  the  next  day  Elizabeth  appointed  Alexis  field-mar- 
shal, and  raised  him  in  the  ranks  of  the  nobility. 

"  We  must  at  any  rate  give  our  son  a  respectable  father," 
said  she.  "I  hope  we  shall  have  a  son,  who  will  be  as 
beautiful  as  his  father ;  whom  I  will  overload  with  honors, 
and  place  high  above  all  the  magnates  of  my  court.  Ah,  a 
son  !    No  daughter,  Alexis  ! " 

"  And  why  no  daughter  ?  "  smilingly  asked  Razumov- 
sky. 

Elizabeth  shuddered,  and,  clinging  to  her  beloved, 
whispered : 

"  Has  not  Eleonore  Lapuschkin  said, '  Give  her  a  daugh- 
ter, and  let  her,  before  the  eyes  of  her  mother,  experience 
what  I  now  suffer ! '  Oh,  Alexis,  wish  me  therefore  no 
daughter  !     I  should  always  tremble  for  her ! " 

And  God  seemed  to  have  listened  to  the  anxious  prayer 
of  the  empress.  Again  she  bore  a  son,  but  again  the  Son 
died  shortly  after  his  birth. 

"  It  is  very  sad  to  lose  a  child,  and  especially  a  son," 
sighed  Elizabeth,  and  involuntarily  she  thought  of  Anna, 
that  poor  mother  whom  she  had  robbed  of  her  son,  that  he 
might  grow  up  in  eternal  joyless  imprisonment,  that  he 
might  be  morally  murdered,  and  from  a  man  be  converted 
into  an  idiot ! 

"  This  is  God's  vengeance ! "  whispered  something  in 
her  breast,  but  Elizabeth  shrank  from  these  low  whisper- 
ings of  her  conscience,  and  she  tremulously  said  :  "  I  will  not 


A  WEDDING.  195 

listen  to  it !  Away,  ye  intrusive  thoughts  !  I  am  an  em- 
press— for  me  there  are  no  crimes,  no  laws !  An  empress 
is  exalted  above  all  law,  and  whatever  she  does  is  right ! 
Away,  away,  therefore,  ye  troublesome  thoughts !  This  boy 
Ivan  must  remain  in  prison ;  I  cannot  restore  him  to  his 
mother.  May  she  bear  other  children,  and  then  new  joys 
will  bloom  for  her  ! " 

But  these  thoughts  would  not  be  thus  banished,  they 
constantly  haunted  her ;  they  left  not  her  nightly  couch ; 
they  constantly  renewed  their  dismal,  awful  whisperings ; 
and  this  all-powerful  empress  would  loudly  shriek  with 
mortal  anguish,  and  she  was  dismayed  at  being  left  alone 
with  her  thoughts. 

"  I  will  have  society  around  me,"  said  she,  "  and  will 
never  be  alone;  the  people  about  me  shall  always  laugh 
and  jest,  to  cheer  me  and  distract  my  thoughts.  Hasten, 
hasten — call  my  court ;  the  most  jovial  men  shall  be  most 
welcome !  And,  do  you  hear,  above  all  things,  bring  me 
wine,  the  best  and  strongest  wine.  When  I  drink  plenty 
of  it,  I  shall  again  become  gay  and  happy ;  it  drives  away 
all  cares,  and  renders  the  heart  light  and  free  !  " 

And  they  came,  the  merriest  gentlemen  of  the  court ;  it 
also  came,  the  strong,  fiery  wine ;  and,  after  an  hour,  Eliza- 
beth's brow  beamed  with  renewed  pleasure,  while  her  heavy 
tongue  with  difficulty  stammered : 

"  How  beautiful  it  yet  is  to  be  an  empress — for  an  em- 
press there  is  only  joy  and  delight,  and  endless  pleasures !  " 


196  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

SCENES  AND   PORTRAITS. 

Years  passed — famous  and  glorious  years  for  Russia. 
Peace  within  her  borders,  and  splendid  victories  gained 
over  foreign  enemies,  particularly  over  the  Prussians.  In 
songs  of  jubilee  the  people  praised  and  blessed  their  em- 
press, whose  wisdom  had  brought  all  to  such  a  glorious  con- 
clusion, and  had  made  her  country  great,  triumphant,  and 
happy. 

The  good  Elizabeth !  What  had  she  to  do  with  the  vic- 
tories of  her  soldiers,  with  the  happiness  of  her  realm? 
She  knew  nothing  of  it,  and  if  peace  prevailed  throughout 
the  Russian  empire,  it  was  absolutely  unknown  in  the  im- 
perial palace,  where  there  was  eternal  war,  a  never-ending 
feud  !  There  the  young  Catharine  contended  with  her  hus- 
band, whom  she  h^pted  and  abhorred ;  with  Elizabeth,  who 
saw  in  her  a  dangerous  rival.  But  it  was  an  unequal  strug- 
gle in  which  these  two  women  were  engaged,  for  Elizabeth 
had  on  her  side  the  power  and  dominion,  while  Catharine 
had  only  her  youth,  her  beauty,  and  her  tears ! 

Elizabeth  hated  Catharine  because  she  dared  to  remain 
young  and  handsome,  while  she,  the  empress,  saw  that  she 
was  growing  old,  and  her  charms  were  withering;  and 
Catharine  hated  Elizabeth  because  the  latter  denied  her  a 
right  which  the  empress  daily  claimed  for  herself — the 
right  to  choose  a  lover,  and  to  love  him  as  long  as  he  pleased 
her.  She  hated  Elizabeth  because  the  latter  surrounded 
her  with  spies  and  watchers,  and  required  of  her  a  strict 


SCENES  AND  PORTRAITS.  197 

virtue,  a  never-violated  matrimonial  fidelity — fidelity  to  the 
husband  who  so  far  derided  and  insulted  his  wife  as  to  de- 
mand that  she  should  receive  into  her  circle  and  treat  with 
respect  and  kindness  his  own  mistress,  the  Countess  Woron- 
zow — fidelity  to  this  husband,  who  had  never  shown  her  any 
thing  but  contempt  and  neglect,  and  who  had  no  other  way 
of  entertaining  her  than  teaching  her  to  march  in  military 
fashion,  and  stand  as  a  sentinel  at  his  door  ! 

Wounded  in  her  inmost  being  and  her  feminine  honor, 
tired  of  the  eternal  pin-prickings  with  which  Elizabeth  tor- 
mented her,  Catharine  retreated  into  her  most  retired 
apartment,  there  in  quiet  to  reflect  upon  her  dishonorable 
greatness,  and  yearningly  to  dream  of  a  splendid  future. 
"  For  the  future,"  said  she,  with  sparkling  eyes  to  her  con- 
fidante, Princess  Daschkow,  "  the  future  is  mine,  they  can- 
not deprive  me  of  it.  For  that  I  labor  and  think  and  study. 
Ah,  when  my  future  shall  have  become  the  present,  then 
will  I  encircle  my  brows  with  a  splendid  imperial  diadem, 
and  astonish  you  all  with  my  greatness  and  magnificence," 

"  But  you  forget  your  husband  !  "  smilingly  interposed 
Princess  Daschkow.  "  He  will  a  little  obscure  the  splendor 
of  your  imperial  crown,  as  he  will  always  be  the  first  in  the 
realm.  He  is  the  all-powerful  emperor,  and  you  will  be 
powerless,  although  an  empress  !  " 

Catharine  proudly  tossed  her  head,  and  her  eyes  flashed. 

"  I  shall  one  day  remember  all  the  mortifications  he  has 
inflicted  upon  me,"  said  she,  "  and  an  hour  will  come  when 
I  shall  have  a  reckoning  with  him,  and  full  retribution ! 
Ah,  talk  not  to  me  of  my  husband — Russian  emperors  have 
never  been  immortal,  and  why  should  he  be  so  ?  " 


198  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Catharine ! "  exclaimed  the  Princess  Daschkow,  turn- 
ing pale,  "  you  cannot  think — " 

"  I  think,"  interposed  Catharine,  with  an  unnatural 
smile,  "  I  think  the  Russian  emperors  are  not  immortal,  and 
that  this  good  Empress  Elizabeth  is  very  fortunate  in  having 
no  emperor  who  presumes  to  stand  over  her  and  have  a  will 
morC: potent  than  her  own  ! " 

"  Ah,  Elizabeth  has  no  will  at  all ! "  laughingly  responded 
the  princess. 

"  But  I  shall  have  a  will !  "  said  Catharine,  proudly. 

The  Princess  Daschkow  had  spoken  the  truth.  Eliza- 
beth had  no  longer  any  will ;  she  let  Bestuscheff  govern,  and 
was  herself  ruled  by  Alexis  Razumovsky,  the  field-marshal, 
her  husband.  She  did  whatever  these  two  required,  will- 
ingly yielding  to  them  in  all  cases  demanding  no  personal 
effort  on  her  part.  On  this  point  only  had  she  a  will  of 
her  own,  which  she  carried  through  with  an  iron  hand. 

"  I  have  not  become  empress  that  I  might  labor,  but 
that  I  might  amuse  myself,"  said  she.  "  I  have  not  set  the 
crown  upon  my  head  for  the  purpose  of  governing,  but  for 
the  purpose  of  enjoying  life.  Spare  me,  therefore,  the 
labor  of  signing  your  documents.  I  will  sign  nothing 
more,  for  my  hand  is  not  accustomed  to  holding  the  pen, 
and  the  ink  soils  my  fingers,  which  is  unworthy  of  an  em- 
press ! " 

"  It  is  only  one  signature  that  I  implore  of  you  to-day," 
said  Bestuscheff,  handing  her  a  letter.  "  Have  the  great 
kindness  to  make  an  exception  of  this  one  single  case,  by 
signing  this  letter  to  King  Louis  XV.  of  France." 

"  What  have  I  to  write  to  fhis  King  of  France  ?  "  fret- 


SCENES  AND  PORTRAITS.  199 

fully  asked  Elizabeth.  "  Why  should  I  do  it  ?  It  is  a  long 
time  since  he  has  sent  me  any  new  dresses,  although  he 
might  well  know  that  nothing  is  more  important  for  an 
empress  than  a  splendid  and  varied  wardrobe !  Why,  then, 
should  I  write  to  this  King  of  France  ?  " 

"  Your  majesty,  it  is  here  question  of  a  simple  act  of 
courtesy,"  said  Bestuscheff,  pressingly ;  "  an  act  the  omis- 
sion of  which  may  be  attended  with  the  most  disagreeable 
consequences,  perhaps  indeed  involve  us  in  a  war.  Think 
of  the  peace  of  your  realm,  the  welfare  of  your  people,  and 
sign  this  letter  !  " 

"  But  what  does  it  contain  that  is  so  important?  "asked 
the  empress,  with  astonishment.  "  I  now  remember  that 
for  a  year  past  you  have  been  importuning  me  about  this ! " 

"  Yes,  your  majesty,  I  have  been  for  the  last  three  years 
daily  imploring  of  you  this  signature,  and  you  have  refused 
it  to  me ;  and  yet  the  letter  is  so  necessary  I  It  is  against 
all  propriety  not  to  send  it !  For  it  is  a  letter  of  congratu- 
lation to  the  King  of  France,  who  in  an  autograph  letter 
announced  to  you  the  birth  of  his  grandson.  Reflect,  your 
majesty,  that  he  wrote  you  with  his  own  hand,  and  for  three 
years  you  have  refused  to  give  yourself  the  small  trouble  to 
sign  the  answer  I  have  prepared.*  This  prince,  for  whose 
birth  you  are  to  congratulate  the  king,  is  now  old  enough 
to  express  his  own  thanks  for  the  sympathy  you  manifest 
for  him." 

Elizabeth  laughed.  "  Well,"  said  she,  "  I  shall  finally  be 
obliged  to  comply  with  your  wishes,  that  you  may  leave  me 

*  Mannstein,  Meraoires,  vol.  ili.,  p.  98. 


200  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

in  peace.  For  three  years  I  have  patiently  borne  your  im- 
portunities for  this  signature.  My  patience  is  now  at  an 
end,  and  I  will  sign  the  letter,  that  I  may  be  freed  from 
your  solicitations.  Give  me,  therefore,  that  intolerable  pen, 
but  first  pour  out  a  glass  of  Malvoisie,  and  hold  it  ready, 
that  I  may  strengthen  myself  with  it  after  the  labor  is  ac- 
complished." 

Elizabeth,  sighing,  took  the  pen  and  slowly  and  anx- 
iously subscribed  her  name  to  this  three-years-delayed  letter 
of  congratulation  to  the  King  of  France. 

"  So,"  said  she,  throwing  down  her  pen  after  the  com- 
pletion of  her  task — "  so,  but  you  must  not  for  a  long  time 
again  trouble  me  with  any  such  work,  and  to-day  I  have 
well  earned  the  right  to  a  very  pleasant  evening.  Nothing 
more  of  business — no,  no,  not  a  word  more  of  it !  I  will 
not  have  these  delightful  hours  embittered  by  your  absurdi- 
ties !  Away  with  you,  Bestuscheff,  and  let  my  field-mar- 
shal. Count  Razumovsky,  be  called  ! " 

And  when  Alexis  came,  Elizabeth  smilingly  said  to  him  : 
"  Alexis,  the  air  is  to-day  so  fine  and  fresh  that  we  will  take 
a  ride.     Quick,  quick  !     And  know  you  where  ?  " 

Razumovsky  nodded.  "  To  the  villa ! "  said  he,  with  a 
smile. 

"  Yes,  to  the  villa !  "  cried  Elieabeth,  "  to  see  my  daugh- 
ter at  the  villa ! " 

She  therefore  now  had  a  daughter,  and  this  daughter 
had  not  died  like  her  two  sons.  She  lived,  she  throve  in 
the  freshness  of  childhood,  and  Elizabeth  loved  her  with 
idolatrous  tenderness ! 

But  precisely  on  account  of  this  tenderness  did  she  care- 


SCENES  AND  PORTRAITS.  201 

fully  conceal  the  existence  of  this  daughter,  keeping  her  far 
from  the  world,  ignorant  of  her  high  birth,  unsuspicious  of 
her  mother's  greatness ! 

The  fatal  words  of  the  Countess  Lapuschkin  still  re- 
sounded in  the  ears  of  the  empress :  "  Give  this  Elizabeth  a 
daughter,  and  let  that  daughter  experience  what  I  now 
suffer ! " 

Such  had  been  the  prayer  of  the  bleeding  countess, 
flayed  by  the  executioners  of  the  empress,  and  the  words 
were  continually  echoing  in  Elizabeth's  heart. 

Ah,  she  was  indeed  a  lofty  empress ;  she  had  the  power 
to  banish  thousands  to  Siberia,  and  was  yet  so  powerless 
that  she  could  not  banish  those  words  from  her  mind  which 
Eleonore  Lapuschkin  had  planted  there. 

Eleonore  was  therefore  avenged  !  And  while  the  count- 
ess bore  the  torments  of  her  banishment  with  smiling  forti- 
tude, Elizabeth  trembled  on  her  throne  at  the  words  of  her 
banished  rival — words  that  seemed  to  hang,  like  the  sword 
of  Damocles,  over  the  head  of  her  daughter ! 

Perhaps  it  was  precisely  for  the  reason  that  she  so  much 
feared  for  her  daughter,  that  she  loved  her  so  very  warmly. 
It  was  a  passionate,  an  adoring  tenderness  that  she  felt  for 
the  child,  and  nevertheless  she  had  the  courage  to  keep  her 
at  a  distance  from  herself,  to  see  her  but  seldom,  that  no 
one  might  suspect  the  secret  of  her  birth. 

Eleonore's  words  had  brought  reflection  to  Elizabeth. 
She  comprehended  that  her  legitimate  daughter  would  cer- 
tainly be  threatened  with  great  dangers  after  her  death ; 
she  had  shudderingly  thought  of  poor  Ivan  in  Schliissel- 
burg,  and  she  said  to  herself :  "  As  I  have  held  him  impris- 
14 


202  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

oned  as  a  pretender,  so  may  it  happen  to  my  daughter,  one 
day,  when  I  am  no  more !  Ivan  had  but  a  doubtful  right 
to  my  throne,  but  Natalie  is  indisputably  the  grand-daugh- 
ter of  Peter  the  Great — the  blood  of  the  great  Russian  czar 
flows  in  her  veins,  and  therefore  Peter  will  fear  Natalie  as  I 
feared  Ivan ;  therefore  will  he  imprison  and  torment  her  as 
I  have  imprisoned  and  tormented  Ivan  ! " 

By  this  affectionate  anxiety  was  Elizabeth  induced  to 
make  a  secret  of  the  existence  of  her  daughter,  which  was 
imparted  to  but  a  few  confidential  friends. 

The  little  Natalie  was  raised  in  a  solitary  country-house 
not  far  from  the  city,  and  her  few  servants  and  people  were 
forbidden  under  pain  of  death  to  admit  any  stranger  into 
the  constantly-closed  and  always- watched  house.  No  one 
was  to  enter  it  without  a  written  order  of  the  empress,  and 
but  few  such  written  orders  were  given. 

Elizabeth,  then,  as  it  were  to  recompense  herself  for  the 
trouble  of  signing  the  letter  to  the  King  of  France,  resolved 
to  visit  her  daughter  to-day  with  her  husband. 

"  Rasczinsky  may  precede  and  announce  us,"  said  she. 
"  We  will  take  our  dinner  there,  and  he  may  say  to  our 
major-domo  that  we  are  going  to  Peterhoff.  Then  no  one 
will  be  surprised  that  we  make  a  short  halt  at  my  little 
villa  in  passing,  or,  rather,  they  will  know  nothing  of  it. 
Call  Rasczinsky ! " 

Count  Rasczinsky  was  one  of  the  few  who  were  ac- 
quainted with  the  secret,  and  might  accompany  the  empress 
in  these  visits.  Elizabeth  had  unlimited  confidence  in  him  ; 
she  knew  him  to  be  a  silent  nobleman,  and  she  estimated 
him  the  more  highly  from  the  fact  that  he  seemed  much 


SCENES  AND  PORTRAITS.  203 

attached  to  the  charming,  beautiful,  and  delicate  child,  her 
daughter.  She  remarked  that  he  appeared  to  love  her  as  a 
brother,  that  he  constantly  and  fondly  watched  over  her,  and 
that  he  was  never  better  pleased  than  when,  as  a  child,  he 
could  jest  and  play  with  her. 

"  Rasczinsky,  we  are  about  to  ride  out  to  the  villa  on  a 
visit  to  Natalie !  "  she  said,  when  the  count  entered. 

The  count's  eyes  beamed  with  pleasure.  "  And  I  may 
be  permitted  to  accompany  your  majesty  ? "  he  hastily 
asked. 

The  empress  smiled.  "  How  impetuous  you  are  !  "  said 
she.  "  Would  not  one  think  you  were  a  dying  lover,  a  sigh- 
ing shepherd,  and  it  was  question  of  seeking  your  tender 
shepherdess,  instead  of  announcing  to  a  child  of  eleven 
years  the  speedy  arrival  of  her  mother  ?  " 

"  Your  majesty,"  said  Count  Rasczinsky,  laughing,  "  I 
am  not  in  love,  but  I  adore  this  child  as  my  good  angel. 
I  can  never  do  or  think  any  thing  bad  in  Natalie's  pres- 
ence. She  is  so  pure  and  innocent  that  one  casts  down  his 
eyes  with  shame  before  her,  and  when  she  glances  at  me 
with  her  large,  deep,  and  yet  so  childish  eyes,  I  could  di- 
rectly fall  upon  my  knees  and  confess  to  her  all  my  sins ! " 

"  You  would  not  have  many  to  confess,"  said  Elizabeth, 
''  for  your  sins  are  few.  You  are  the  pride  of  my  court, 
and,  as  I  am '  told,  a  true  pattern  of  all  knightly  virtues. 
Remain  so,  and  who  knows,  my  fair  young  count,  what 
the  future  may  bring  you  ?  Love  my  Natalie  now  only 
as  an  angel  of  innocence ;  let  her  grow  up  as  such,  and 
then—" 

"  And  then  ?  "  asked  the  count,  as  the  empress  stopped. 


204       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS, 

"  Then  we  shall  see !  "  smilingly  responded  Elizabeth. 
"  But  now  hasten  forward  to  announce  us." 

"  Your  majesty  forgets  that,  to  enable  one  to  penetrate 
into  this  enchanted  castle,  you  written  command  is  re- 
quired ! " 

"  Ah,  that  is  true ! "  said  Elizabeth,  stepping  to  her 
writing-table.  This  time  she  was  not  too  indolent  to  write ; 
no  representations  nor  prayers  were  needed.  It  concerned 
the  seeing  of  her  daughter — how,  then,  could  she  have 
thought  writing  painful  or  troublesome  ? 

With  the  same  pen  with  which,  a  short  time  before,  she 
had  so  unwillingly  signed  the  congratulatory  letter,  she  now 
wrote  upon  a  sheet  of  paper,  provided  with  her  seal  these 
words : 

"  The  Count  Kasczinsky  may  be  admitted. 

Elizabeth." 

She  handed  the  paper  to  the  count,  who  pressed  it  to 
his  lips. 

"You  can  retain  this  paper  for  all  time,"  said  the  em- 
press, as  she  dismissed  him.  "  I  know  that  I  can  wholly 
confide  in  you.    You  will  never  sell  or  betray  my  Xatalie?" 

"  Never ! "  protested  the  count,  taking  his  leave. 

Hastily  mounting  his  horse,  he  galloped  through  the 
streets,  and  when,  having  left  the  city  behind  him,  he 
found  himself  in  the  open  country  where  no  one  could  ob- 
serve him,  he  drew  the  paper  Elizabeth  had  given  him  from 
his  bosom,  and  waving  it  high  in  the  air,  shouted  : 

"  Good  fortune,  good  fortune !  This  paper  is  my  talis- 
man and  my  future !  With  this  paper  I  will  give  Russia 
an  empress,  and  make  myself  her  emperor  I " 


PRINCES  ALSO  MUST  DIE.  205 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PRINCES    ALSO    MUST   DIE. 

Yes,  even  princes  must  die,  glorious  and  lofty  as  they 
are,  proudly  as  they  stand  over  their  trembling  subjects ! 
Even  to  them  comes  the  dark  hour  in  which  all  the  bor- 
rowed and  artistically-combined  tinsel  of  their  lives  falls 
from  them ;  a  dark  hour,  in  which  they  tremble  and  repent, 
and  pray  to  God  for  what  they  seldom  granted  to  their  fel- 
low-men— mercy  !  Mercy  for  those  false  tales  which  they 
have  imposed  upon  the  people,  for  those  false  tales  of  the 
higher  endowments  of  princes,  of  inherited  wisdom  which 
raises  them  above  the  rest  of  mankind — mercy  for  their 
arbitrariness,  their  pride,  and  their  insolence — mercy  for  a 
poor  beggar,  who,  until  then,  had  called  himself  a  rich  and 
powerful  prince. 

And  this  hour  came  for  Elizabeth.  After  twenty  years 
of  splendor,  of  absolute,  unlimited  power,  of  infallibility,  of 
likeness  to  the  gods,  came  the  depressing  hour  in  which 
Elizabeth  ceased  to  be  an  empress,  and  became  only  a  trem- 
bling earth-worm,  imploring  mercy,  aid,  amelioration  of  her 
sufferings  from  her  Creator ! 

She  suffered  much,  this  poor  empress,  dethroned  by 
death;  she  suffered,  although  reposing  upon  silken  cush- 
ions, with  a  gold-embroidered  covering  for  her  shaking  limbs. 

And  she  was  yet  so  young,  hardly  fifty,  and  she  loved 
life  so  intensely !  Oh,  she  would  have  given  the  half  of  her 
empire  for  a  few  more  years  of  life  and  enjoyment.  But 
what  cares  Death  for  the  wishes  of  an  empress  ?    Here  ends 


206      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

her  earthly  supremacy  !  Groaning  and  writhing,  the  earth- 
worm tremblingly  submits. 

Where,  now,  were  all  her  favorites — those  high  lords  of 
the  court,  those  grand  noblemen,  created  from  soldiers, 
grooms,  lackeys,  and'  serfs — where  were  they  now  ?  Why 
stood  they  not  around  the  death-bed  of  their  empress  ?  Why 
were  they  not  there,  that  the  remembrance  of  the  benefits 
conferred  upon  them  might  drive  away  those  terrible  rem- 
iniscences of  the  torments  she  had  inflicted  upon  others  ? 
Where  were  they,  her  counts,  barons,  field-marshals,  and 
privy  councillors,  whom  she  had  raised  from  nothing  to  the 
first  positions  in  the  realm  ? 

None  were  with  her  !  They  had  all  hastened  thence  for 
the  preservation  of  their  ill-gotten  wealth,  to  crawl  in  the 
dust  before  Peter,  to  be  the  first  to  pay  him  homage,  that  he 
might  pardon  their  greatness  and  their  possessions !  From 
the  death-bed  they  had  fled  to  Peter,  and  kneeling  before 
him,  they  praised  God  for  at  length  bestowing  upon  the 
happy  realm  the  noblest  and  best  ruler,  Peter  III. ! 

But  where  were  Elizabeth's  more  particular  friends,  who 
had  made  her  an  empress? 

Where  was  Lestocq  ? 

Him  the  empress  had  banished  to  Siberia.  Yielding  to 
the  prayers  and  calumnies  of  his  enemies,  which  she  was  too 
weak  to  withstand,  she  had  given  him  up ;  she  had  sacrificed 
him  to  procure  peace  and  quiet  for  herself,  and  in  the  same 
hour  in  which  she  had  tenderly  pressed  his  hand,  and 
called  him  her  friend,  had  she  signed  his  sentence  of  ban- 
ishment !  Lestocq  had  for  nine  years  languished  in  Si- 
beria. 


PRINCES  ALSO  MUST  DIE.  207 

Where  was  Griinstein?  Banished,  cast  off,  like  Les- 
tocq. 

Where  was  Alexis  Razumovsky  ? 

Ah,  well  for  her  !  He  stood  at  her  bedside,  he  pressed 
her  cold  hand  in  his  ;  he  yet,  in  the  face  of  death,  thanked 
her  for  all  the  benefits  she  had  heaped  upon  him.  But, 
alas !  she  was  also  surrounded  by  others — by  wild,  pale, 
terrible  forms,  which  were  unseen  by  all  except  the  dying 
empress  !  She  there  saw  the  tortured  face  of  Anna  Leo- 
poldowna,  whom  she  had  let  die  in  prison ;  there  grinned 
at  her  the  idiotic  face  of  Ivan,  whose  mind  she  had  de- 
stroyed ;  there  saw  she  the  angry-flashing  eye  and  bloody 
form  of  Eleonore  Lapuschkin,  and,  springing  up  from  her 
bed,  the  empress  screeched  with  terror,  and  folded  her 
trembling  hands  in  prayer  to  God  for  grace  and  mercy  for 
her  daughter,  for  Natalie,  that  He  would  turn  away  the 
horrible  curse  that  Eleonore  had  hurled  at  her  child. 

Alexis  Razumovsky  stood  by  her  bedside,  weeping. 
Overcome,  as  it  seemed,  by  his  sorrow,  another  left  the 
death-chamber  of  the  empress,  and  rushed  to  his  horse, 
standing  ready  in  the  court  below  !  This  other  was  Count 
Rasczinsky,  the  confidant  of  the  empress. 

The  bells  rang  in  St.  Petersburg,  the  cannon  roared ; 
there  were  both  joy  and  sorrow  in  what  the  bells  and  can- 
non announced ! 

The  Empress  Elizabeth  was  dead ;  the  Emperor  Peter 
III.  ascended  the  throne  of  the  czars  as  absolute  ruler  of 
the  Russian  realm.  The  first  to  bow  before  him  was  his 
wife.  With  her  son  of  five  years  old  in  her  arms,  she  had 
thrown  herself  upon  her  knees,  and  touching  the  floor  with 


208  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

her  forehead,  she  had  implored  grace  and  love  for  herself 
and  her  son ;  and  Peter,  raising  her  up,  had  presented  her 
to  the  people  as  his  empress. 

In  St.  Petersburg  the  bells  rang,  the  cannon  thundered 
— "  The  empress  is  dead,  long  live  the  emperor ! " 

Before  the  villa  stopped  a  foam-covered  steed,  from 
which  dismounted  a  horseman,  who  knocked  at  the  closed 
door.  To  the  porter  who  looked  out  from  a  sliding  win- 
dow he  showed  the  written  order  of  Elizabeth  for  his  ad- 
mission. The  porter  opened  the  door,  and  with  the  loud 
cry,  "  Natalie,  Natalie  f "  the  Count  Rasczinsky  rushed  into 
the  hall  of  the  house. 

The  bells  continued  to  ring,  the  cannon  to  thunder. 
There  was  great  rejoicing  in  St.  Petersburg. 

Issuing  from  the  villa.  Count  Rasczinsky  again  mounted 
his  foaming  steed. 

Like  a  storm-wind  swept  he  over  the  plain — but  not 
toward  St.  Petersburg,  not  toward  the  city  where  the  people 
were  saluting  their  new  emperor ! 

Away,  away,  far  and  wide  in  the  distance,  his  horse 
bounded  and  panted,  bleeding  with  the  spurs  of  his  rider. 
Excited  constantly  to  new  speed,  he  as  constantly  bounds 
onward.  . 

Like  a  nocturnal  spectre  flies  he  through  the  desert 
waste;  the  storm-wind  drives  him  forward,  it  lifts  the 
mantle  that  enwraps  him  like  a  cloud,  and  under  that  man- 
tle is  seen  an  angel-face,  the  smile  of  a  delicate  little  girl, 
two  tender  childish  arms  clasping  the  form  of  the  count,  a 
slight  elfish  form  tremblingly  reposing  upon  the  count's 
breast. 


PRINCES  ALSO  MUST  DIE.  209 

"  You  weep  not,  my  angel,"  whispered  the  count,  while 
rushing  forward  with  restless  haste. 

"  No,  no,  I  neither  weep  nor  tremble,  for  I  am  with 
you  ! "  breathed  a  sweet,  childish  voice. 

"  Cling  closer  to  me,  my  sweet  blossom,  recline  your 
head  against  my  breast.  See,  evening  approaches  ! — Night 
will  spread  its  protecting  veil  over  us,  and  God  Avill  be  our 
conductor  and  safeguard  !  I  shall  save  you,  my  angel,  my 
charming  child ! " 

The  steed  continues  his  onward  course. 

The  child  smilingly  reclines  upon  the  bosom  of  the 
rider,  over  whom  the  descending  sun  sheds  its  red  parting 
beams. 

Like  a  phantom  flies  he  onward,  like  a  phantom  he  dis- 
appears there  on  the  border  of  the  forest.  Was  it  only  a 
delusive  appearance,  Q,fata  morgana  of  the  desert? 

No,  again  and  again  the  evening  breeze  raises  the  man- 
tle of  the  rider,  and  the  charming  angelic  brow  is  still  seen 
resting  upon  the  bosom  of  the  count. 

No,  it  is  no  dream,  it  is  truth  and  reality ! 

Like  a  storm-wind  flies  the  count  over  hill  and  heath, 
and  on  his  bosom  reposes  Natalie,  the  daughter  of  the  em- 
press ! 


210  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE   CHARMED    GARDEN. 

One  must  be  very  happy  or  very  unhappy  to  love  Soli- 
tude, to  lean  upon  her  silent  breast,  and,  fleeing  mankind, 
to  seek  in  its  arms  what  is  so  seldom  found  among  men,  re- 
pose for  happiness  or  consolation  for  sorrow !  For  the 
happy,  solitude  provides  the  most  delightful  festival,  as  it 
allows  one  in  the  most  enjoyable  resignation  to  repose  in 
himself,  to  breathe  out  himself,  to  participate  in  himself ! 
But  it  also  provides  a  festival  for  the  unhappy — a  festival 
of  the  memory,  of  living  in  the  past,  of  reflection  upon 
those  long-since  vanished  joys,  the  loss  of  which  has  caused 
the  sorrow  !  For  the  children  of  the  world,  for  the  striving, 
for  the  seeker  of  inordinate  enjoyments,  for  the  ambitious, 
for  the  sensual,  solitude  is  but  ill-adapted — only  for  the  hap- 
py, for  the  sorrow-laden,  and  also  for  the  innocent,  who  yet 
know  nothing  of  the  world,  of  neither  its  pleasures  nor 
torments,  of  neither  its  loves  nor  hatreds ! 

So  thought  and  spoke  the  curious  Romans  when  passing 
the  high  walls  surrounding  the  beautiful  garden  formerly 
belonging  to  the  Count  Appiani.  At  an  earlier  period  this 
garden  had  been  well  known  to  all  of  them,  as  it  had  been 
a  sort  of  public  promenade,  and  under  its  shady  walks  had 
many  a  tender  couple  exchanged  their  first  vows  and  experi- 
enced the  rapture  of  the  first  kiss  of  love.  But  for  the  four 
last  years  all  this  had  been  changed ;  a  rich  stranger  had 
come  and  offered  to  the  impoverished  old  Count  Appiani  a 
large  sum  for  this  garden  with  its  decaying  villa,  and  the 


THE  CHARMED  GARDEN.  211 

count  had,  notwithstanding  the  murmurs  of  the  Romans, 
sold  his  last  possession  to  the  stranger.  He  had  said  to  the 
grumbling  Romans  :  "  You  are  dissatisfied  that  I  part  with 
my  garden  for  money.  You  were  pleased  to  linger  in  the 
shady  avenues,  to  listen  to  these  murmuring  fountains  and 
rustling  cypresses ;  you  have  walked  here,  you  have  here 
laughed  and  enjoyed  yourselves,  while  I,  sitting  in  my  dilap- 
idated villa,  have  suffered  deprivation  and  hunger.  I  will 
make  you  a  proposition.  Collect  this  sum,  you  Romans, 
which  this  stranger  offers  me ;  ye  who  love  to  promenade  in 
my  garden,  unite  yourselves  in  a  common  work.  Let  each 
one  give  what  he  can,  until  the  necessary  amount  is  col- 
lected, then  the  garden  will  be  your  common  property,  where 
you  can  walk  as  much  as  you  please,  and  I  shall  be  happy 
to  be  relieved  from  poverty  by  my  own  countrymen,  and 
not  compelled  to  sell  to  a  stranger  the  garden  so  agreeable 
to  the  Romans !  " 

But  the  good  Romans  had  no  answer  to  make  to  Count 
Appiani.  They,  indeed,  would  have  the  enjoyment,  but  it 
must  cost  them  nothing — in  vain  had  they  very  much  loved 
this  garden,  had  taken  great  pleasure  under  its  shady  trees ; 
but  when  it  became  necessary  to  pay  for  these  pleasures, 
they  found  that  they  were  not  worth  the  cost,  that  they 
could  very  well  dispense  with  them. 

The  good  Romans  therefore  turned  away  from  this  gar- 
den, which  threatened  them  with  a  tax,  and  sought  other 
places  of  recreation ;  while  old  Count  Appiani  sold  his  gar- 
den and  the  ruins  of  his  villa  to  the  rich  stranger  who  had* 
offered  him  so  considerable  a  sum  for  them.  From  that 
day  forward  every  thing  in  the  garden  had  assumed  a  dif- 


212  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ferent  appearance.  Masons,  carpenters,  and  upholsterers 
had  come  and  so  improved  the  villa,  within  and  without, 
that  it  now  made  a  stately  and  beautiful  appearance  amid 
the  dense  foliage  of  the  trees.  It  had  been  expensively  and 
splendidly  furnished  with  every  thing  desirable  for  a  rich 
man's  dwelling,  and  the  upholsterers  had  enough  to  relate  to 
the  listening  Romans  of  the  elegant  magnificence  now  dis- 
played in  this  formerly  pitiable  villa.  How  gladly  would 
the  former  promenaders  now  have  returned  to  this  garden ; 
how  gladly  would  they  now  have  revisited  this  villa,  which, 
with  its  deserted  halls  and  its  ragged  and  dirty  tapestry, 
had  formerly  seemed  to  them  not  worth  looking  at !  But 
their  return  to  it  was  now  rendered  impossible ;  for  on  the 
same  day  in  which  the  new  owner  took  possession  of  the 
garden,  he  had  brought  with  him  more  than  fifty  workmen, 
who  had  immediately  commenced  surrounding  it  with  a 
high  wall. 

Higher  and  higher  rose  the  wall ;  nobody  could  see  over 
it,  as  no  giant  was  sufficiently  tall ;  no  one  could  climb  over 
it,  as  the  smoothly-hammered  stones  of  which  it  was  built 
offered  not  the  least  supporting  point.  The  garden  with 
its  villa  had  become  a  secret  mystery  to  the  Romans ! 
They  yet  heard  the  rustling  of  the  trees,  they  saw  the  green 
branches  waving  in  the  wind ;  but  of  what  occurred  under 
those  branches  and  in  those  shaded  walks  they  could  know 
nothing.  At  first,  some  curious  individuals  had  ventured 
to  knock  at  the  low,  narrow  door  that  formed  the  only  en- 
•  trance  into  this  walled  garden.  They  had  knocked  at  that 
door  and  demanded  entrance.  Then  would  a  small  sliding 
window  be  opened,  and  a  gruff,  bearded  man  with  angry 


THE  CHARMED  GARDEN.  213 

voice  would  ask  what  was  wanted,  and  at  the  same  time  in- 
form the  knocker  that  no  one  could  be  admitted ;  that  he 
and  his  two  bulldogs  would  be  able  to  keep  the  garden  clear 
of  all  intruders.  And  the  two  great  hounds,  as  if  they 
understood  the  threats  of  their  master,  would  show  their 
teeth,  and  their  threatening  growl  would  rise  to  a  loud  and 
angry  bark. 

They  soon  ceased  to  knock  at  that  door,  and,  as  they 
could  not  gain  admission,  they  took  the  next  best  course,  of 
assuming  the  appearance  of  not  wishing  it. 

Four  years  had  since  passed ;  they  had  overcome  the 
desire  to  enter  the  premises  or  to  look  over  the  wall,  but 
they  told  wondrous  tales  of  the  garden  and  of  a  beautiful 
fairy  who  dwelt  in  it,  and  whose  soft,  melodious  voice  was 
sometimes  heard  in  the  stillness  of  the  night  singing  sweet, 
transporting  songs.  No  one  had  seen  her,  this  fairy,  but 
she  was  certainly  beautiful,  and  of  course  young;  there 
were  also  some  bold  individuals  who  asserted  that  when  the 
moon  shone  brightly  and  goldenly,  the  young  fairy  was 
then  to  be  seen  in  the  tops  of  the  trees  or  upon  the  edge  of 
the  wall.  Light  as  an  elf,  transparent  as  a  moonbeam,  she 
there  swung  to  and  fro,  executing  singular  dances  and  sing- 
ing songs  that  brought  tears  to  the  eyes  and  compassion  to 
the  hearts  of  those  who  heard  them.  On  hearing  these 
tales,  the  Romans  would  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and 
pass  more  quickly  by  the  walls  of  this  garden,  which  thence- 
forth they  called  '•'•The  Charmed  Garden.^''  It  was  indeed 
a  charmed  garden  !  It  was  an  island  of  happiness,  behind 
these  walls,  concealed  from  the  knavery  of  the  world.  Like 
an  eternal  smile  of  the  Divinity  rested  the  heavens  over 


214      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS; 

this  ever-blooming,  ever-fragrant  garden,  in  whose  myrtle- 
bashes  the  nightingales  sang,  and  in  whose  silver-clear 
basins  the  goldfishes  splashed. 

Yes,  it  was  indeed  a  charmed  garden,  and  also  had  its 
fairy,  who,  if  she  did  not  compete  with  the  moonbeams  in 
rocking  herself  on  the  tops  of  the  trees  and  the  edges  of  the 
wall,  was  nevertheless  as  delicate  as  an  elf,  and  who  tripped 
from  flower  to  brook  and  from  brook  to  hill  as  lightly  and 
gracefully  as  the  gazelle.  The  Avhole  spring,  the  whole 
youth  of  nature,  flashed  and  beamed  from  this  beautiful 
maiden-face,  so  full  of  childlike  innocence,  purity,  and 
peace.  No  storm  had  as  yet  passed  over  these  smiling  fea- 
tures, not  the  smallest  leaf  of  this  rose  had  been  touched  by 
an  ungentle  hand  ;  freely  and  freshly  had  she  blossomed  in 
luxuriant  natural  beauty  ;  she  had  drunk  the  dews  of  heaven, 
but  not  the  dew  of  tears,  for  those  deeply-dark  beaming 
eyes  had  wept  only  such  tears  as  were  called  forth  by  emo- 
tions of  joy  and  happiness. 

She  sat  under  a  myrtle,  whose  blossoming  branches 
bent  down  to  her  as  if  they  would  entwine  that  pure  and 
tender  brow  with  a  bridal  wreath.  With  her  head  thrown 
buck  upon  these  branches,  she  reposed  with  an  inimitable 
grace  her  reclining  form.  A  white  transparent  robe,  held 
by  a  golden  clasp,  fell  in  waves  to  her  little  feet,  which  were 
encased  in  gold-embroidered  slippers  of  dark-red  leather. 
A  blushing  rose  was  fastened  by  a  diamond  pin  in  the  folds 
of  her  dress  upon  her  budding  bosom,  finely  contrasting 
with  the  delicate  flush  upon  her  cheeks.  A  guitar  rested 
upon  her  full  round  arm.  She  had  been  singing,  this  beau- 
tiful fairy  child,  but  her  song  was  now  silenced,  and  she  was 


THE  CHARMED  GARDEN.  215 

glancing  up  to  the  clouds,  following  their  movements  with 
her  dreamy,  thoughtful  eyes.  A  smile  hovered  about  her 
fresh,  youthful  lijos — the  smile  peculiar  to  innocence  and 
happiness. 

She  dreamed ;  precious,  ecstatic  images  passed  before 
her  mental  eyes ;  she  dreamed  of  a  distant  land  in  which 
she  had  once  been,  of  a  distant  house  in  which  she  had  once 
dwelt.  It  was  even  more  beautiful  and  splendid  than  this 
which  she  now  occupied,  but  it  had  lacked  this  blue  sky 
and  fragrant  atmosphere  ;  it  lacked  these  trees  and  flowers, 
these  myrtle  bushes,  and  these  songs  of  the  nightingale,  and 
upon  a  few  summer  days  had  followed  long,  dull  winter 
months  with  their  cold  winding-sheet  of  snow,  with  their 
benumbing  masses  of  ice,  and  the  fantastic  flowers  painted 
on  the  windows  by  the  frost.  And  yet,  and  yet,  there  had 
been  a  sun  which  shone  into  her  heart  warmer  than  this 
bright  sun  of  Italy,  and  the  thought  of  which  spread  a  pur- 
ple glow  upon  her  cheeks.  This  sun  had  shone  upon  her 
from  the  tender  glances  of  a  lady  whom  she  had  loved 
as  a  tutelar  genius,  as  a  divinity,  as  the  bright  star  of  her 
existence !  Whenever  that  lady  had  come  to  her  in  the 
solitary  house  in  which  she  then  dwelt,  then  had  all  ap- 
peared to  her  as  in  a  transfiguration ;  then  had  even  her 
peevish  old  servant  learned  to  smile  and  become  humble 
and  friendly ;  then  all  was  joy  and  happiness,  and  whoever 
saw  that  beautiful  and  brilliant  lady,  had  thought  himself 
blessed,  and  had  fallen  down  to  adore  her. 

Of  that  lady  was  the  young  maiden  now  thinking,  of 
that  memorable  woman  with  the  flashing  eyes  whose  ten- 
der glance  had  always  penetrated  the  heart  of  the  child 


216  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

with  delight,  whose  gentle  words  yet  resounded  like  music 
in  her  ears. 

"Where  was  she  now,  this  lady  of  her  love,  her  longings? 
why  had  she  been  brought  away  from  that  house  with  its 
snowy  winding-sheet  and  the  ice  drapery  upon  its  windows? 
Where  lay  that  house,  and  where  had  she  to  seek  it  with 
her  thoughts?  What  was  the  language  she  had  there 
spoken,  and  which  she  now  secretly  spoke  in  her  heart,  al- 
though nobody  else  addressed  her  in  it,  no  one  about  her 
understood  it ;  and  wherefore  had  iier  friend  and  protector, 
he  who  had  brought  her  here,  who  had  always  been  with 
her,  wherefore  had  he  suddenly  given  himself  the  appear- 
ance of  no  longer  understanding  it  ? 

And  even  as  she  was  thinking  of  him,  of  this  dear  friend 
and  protector,  he  came  along  down  the  alley ;  his  tall  form 
appeared  at  the  end  of  the  walk  ;  she  recognized  his  noble 
features,  with  the  proud  eagle  glance  and  the  bold  arched 
brow. 

The  young  maiden  rose  from  her  seat  and  hastened  to 
meet  him. 

"  How  charming  that  you  have  come,  Paulo,"  she  gayly 
said,  stretching  forth  her  little  hands  toward  him.  "  I  must 
ask  you  something,  and  that  directly,  Paulo.  Tell  me 
quickly  what  is  that  language  called  in  which  we  formerly 
conversed  together,  and  why  have  we  ceased  to  speak  it 
since  we  came  here  to  Rome  ?  " 

Paulo's  brow  became  slightly  clouded,  but  when  he 
looked  into  her  beautiful  face,  animated  by  expectant  curi- 
osity, this  expression  of  displeasure  quickly  vanished  from 
his  features,  and,  threatening  her  with  his  finger,  he  said : 


THE  CHARMED  GARDEN.  217 

"  Always  this  same  question,  Natalie  ;  and  yet  I  have  so 
often  begged  of  you  to  forget  the  past,  and  live  only  in  the 
present,  my  dear,  sweet  child !  The  past  is  sunken  in  an 
immeasurable  gulf  behind  you,  which  you  can  never  pass, 
and  if  it  stretches  out  its  arms  to  you,  it  will  only  be  for 
the  purpose  of  dragging  you  down  into  the  abyss  with  it ! 
Forget  it,  therefore,  my  Natalie,  and  yield  thyself  to  this 
beautiful  and  delightful  present,  to  increase  for  you  the  at- 
tractions of  which  will  ever  be  the  dearest  task  of  my  life." 

"  It  is  true,"  said  the  young  maiden,  sighing,  "  I  am 
wrong  to  be  always  recurring  to  those  long-past  times  ;  you 
must  pardon  me,  Paulo,  but  you  will  also  acknowledge  that 
my  enigmatical  past  justifies  me  in  feeling  some  curiosity. 
Only  think  how  it  began  !  You  one  day  came  rushing  to 
my  room,  you  pressed  me  all  trembling  to  your  heart,  and 
silently  bore  me  away.  '  Natalie,'  said  you,  '  danger  threat- 
ens you  ;  I  will  save,  or  perish  with  you  ! '  You  mounted 
your  horse  with  me  in  your  arms.  Behind  us  screamed  and 
moaned  the  servants  of  my  house,  but  you  regarded  them 
not,  and  I  trustingly  clung  to  your  heart,  for  I  knew  that 
if  danger  threatened  me,  you  would  surely  save  me !  Oh, 
do  you  yet  remember  that  fabulous  ride  ?  How  we  rested 
in  out-of-the-way  houses,  or  with  poor  peasant  people,  and 
then  proceeded  on  farther  and  farther !  And  how  the  sun 
constantly  grew  warmer,  melting  the  snow,  and  you  con- 
stantly became  more  cheerful  and  happy,  until,  one  day,  you 
impetuously  pressed  me  to  your  bosom,  and  said :  '  Nata- 
lie, we  are  saved !  Life  and  the  future  are  now  yours ! 
Look  around  you,  we  are  in  Italy.  Here  you  can  be  free 
and  happy ! ' " 
15 


218  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"And  was  not  that  a  good  prophecy?"  asked  Paulo. 
"  Has  it  not  been  fulfilled  ?    Are  you  not  happy  ?  " 

"  I  should  be  so,"  sighed  Natalie,  "  could  I  avoid  think- 
ing so  often  of  that  past !  Those  words  which  you  then 
spoke  to  me  were  the  last  I  ever  heard  in  that  language, 
which  I  had  always  spoken  until  then,  but  of  which  I  know 
not  the  name !  From  that  hour  you  spoke  to  me  in  an  un- 
known tongue,  and  I  felt  like  a  poor  deserted  orphan,  from 
whom  was  taken  her  last  possession,  her  language ! " 

"  And  yet  whole  peoples  have  been  robbed  of  that  last 
and  dearest  possession ! "  said  Paulo,  his  brow  suddenly 
darkening,  "  and  not,  as  in  your  case,  to  save  life  and  lib- 
erty, but  for  the  purpose  of  enslaving  and  oppressing  them." 

Natalie,  perceiving  the  sudden  sadness  of  her  friend,  at- 
tempted to  smile,  and,  grasping  his  hand,  she  said : 

"  Come,  Paulo,  we  are  naughty  children,  and  vex  our- 
selves with  vagaries,  while  all  nature  is  so  cheerful  and  so 
replete  with  divine  beauty.  Only  see  with  what  glowing 
splendor  the  departing  sun  rests  upon  the  tops  of  the  cy- 
presses !  Ah,  it  is  nowhere  so  beautiful  as  here  in  my  dear 
garden.  This  is  my  world  and  my  happiness !  Sometimes, 
Paulo,  it  makes  me  shudder  to  think  that  the  walls  sur- 
rounding us  might  suddenly  tumble  down,  and  all  the  tall 
houses  standing  behind  them,  and  all  the  curious  people 
lounging  in  the  streets,  could  then  look  in  upon  my  par- 
adise !  That  must  be  terrible,  and  yet  Marianne  tells  me 
that  other  people  live  differently  from  us,  that  their  houses 
are  not  surrounded  by  walls,  and  that  no  watchman  with 
dogs  drives  away  troublesome  visitors  from  them.  And  yet, 
she  says,  they  smilingly  welcome  such  inconvenient  people, 


THE  CHARMED  GARDEN.  219 

receiving  them  with  friendly  words,  while  they  only  thank 
God  when  they  finally  go  and  leave  the  occupants  in  peace. 
Is  it  then  true,  Paulo,  that  people  can  be  so  false  to  each 
other,  and  that  those  who  live  in  the  world  never  dare  to 
speak  as  they  think  ?  " 

"  It  is,  alas !  but  too  true,  Natalie,"  said  Paulo,  with  a 
sad  smile. 

"  Then  never  let  me  become  acquainted  with  such  a 
world,"  said  the  young  maiden,  clinging  to  Paulo's  arm. 
"  Let  me  always  remain  here  in  our  solitude,  which  none 
but  good  people  can  share  with  us.  For  Marianne  is  good, 
as  also  Cecil,  your  servant ;  and  Carlo — oh,  Carlo  would 
give  his  life  for  me.  He  is  not  false,  like  other  people ;  I 
can  confide  in  him." 

"  Think  you  so ! "  asked  Paulo,  looking  deep  into  her 
eyes  with  a  scrutinizing  glance. 

She  bore  his  glance  with  a  cheerful  and  unembarrassed 
smile,  and  a  roguish  nod  of  her  little  head. 

"  You  must  certainly  wish  to  paint  me  again,  that  you 
look  at  me  so  earnestly.  No,  Paulo,  I  will  not  sit  to  yoxi 
again,  you  paint  me  much  too  handsome  ;  you  make  an  angel 
of  me,  while  I  am  yet  only  a  poor  little  thing,  who  lives  but 
by  your  mercy,  and  does  not  even  know  her  own  name ! " 

"Angels  never  have  a  name,  they  are  only  known  as 
angels,  and  need  no  further  designation.  As  there  is  an 
Angel  Gabriel,  so  is  there  an  Angel  Natalie  !  " 

"  Mocker,"  said  she,  laughing,  "  there  are  no  feminine 
angels !  But  now  come,  be  seated.  Here  is  my  guitar,  and 
I  will  sing  you  a  song  for  which  Carlo  yesterday  brought 
me  the  melody." 


220      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  And  the  words  ?  "  asked  Paulo. 

"  Well,  as  to  the  words,  they  must  come  in  the  singing — 
to-day  one  set  of  words,  to-morrow  another.  Who  can 
know  what  glows  in  your  heart  at  any  given  hour,  and 
what  you  may  feel  in  the  next,  and  which  will  escape  you 
in  words  unknown  to  yourself,  and  which  unconsciously 
and  involuntarily  stream  from  your  lips." 

"  You  are  my  charming  poetess,  my  Sappho ! "  ex- 
claimed Paulo,  kissing  her  hand. 

"  Ah,  would  that  you  spoke  true  ! "  said  she,  with  spark- 
ling eyes  and  a  deeper  flush  upon  her  cheeks.  "  Let  me  be 
a  poetess  like  Sappho,  and  I  would,  like  her,  joyfully  leap 
from  the  rocks  into  the  sea.  Oh,  there  are  yet  poetesses — 
Carlo  has  told  me  of  them.  All  Rome  now  worships  the 
great  improvisatrice.  Gorilla.  I  should  like  to  know  her, 
Paulo,  only  to  adore  her,  only  to  see  her  in  her  splendor 
and  her  beauty  !  " 

"  If  you  wish  it,  you  shall  see  her,"  said  Paulo. 

"  Ah,  I  shall  see  her  then  ! "  shouted  Natalie,  and,  as  if 
to  give  expression  to  her  inward  joy,  she  touched  the 
strings  of  her  guitar,  and  in  clear  tones  resounded  a  jubi- 
lant melody.  Then  she  began  to  sing,  at  first  in  single 
isolated  words  and  exclamations,  which  constantly  swelled 
into  more  powerful,  animated  and  blissful  tones,  and  finally 
flowed  into  a  regular  dithyramb.  It  was  a  song  of  jubilee, 
a  sigh  of  innocence  and  happiness ;  she  sang  of  God  and 
the  stars,  of  happy  love,  and  of  reuniting ;  of  blossom, 
fragrance,  and  fanning  zephyrs ;  and  in  unconscious,  fore- 
boding pain,  she  sang  of  the  sorrows  of  love,  and  the  pangs 
of  renunciation. 


I* 

^'  ?^  //  /^^i. 


'-S 
A 


NATALIE  AND  COUNT  PAULO. 


THE  CHARMED  GARDEN.  221 

All  Nature  seemed  listening  to  her  charming  song ;  no 
leaflet  stirred,  in  low  murmurs  splashed  the  waves  of  the 
fountain  by  which  she  sat,  and  occasionally  a  nightingale 
wailed  in  unison  with  her  hymn  of  rejoicing.  The  sun  had 
descended  to  a  point  nearer  the  horizon,  and  bordered  it 
with  moving  purple  clouds.  Natalie,  suddenly  interrupting 
her  song,  pointed  with  her  rosy  fingers  to  the  heavens. 

"  How  beautiful  it  is,  Paulo  !  "  said  she. 

He,  however,  saw  nothing  but  her  face,  illuminated  by 
the  evening  glow. 

"  How  beautiful  art  thou  ! "  he  whispered  low,  pressing 
her  head  to  his  bosom. 

Then  both  were  silent,  looking,  lost  in  sweetest  dreams, 
upon  the  surrounding  landscape,  which,  as  if  in  a  silence  of 
adoration,  seemed  to  listen  for  the  parting  salutation  of  the 
god  of  day.  A  nightingale  suddenly  came  and  perched 
upon  the  myrtle-bush  under  which  Natalie  and  her  friend 
were  reposing.  Soon  she  began  to  sing,  now  in  complain- 
ing, now  in  exulting  tones,  now  tenderly  soft,  now  in  joyful 
trumpet-blasts ;  and  the  night- wind  that  now  arose  rustled 
in  organ-tones  among  the  cypress  and  olive  trees. 

Natalie  clung  closer  to  her  friend's  side. 

"  I  would  now  gladly  die,"  said  she. 

"  Already  die ! "  whispered  he.  "  Die  before  you  have 
lived,  Natalie?" 

Then  they  were  again  silent,  the  wind  rustled  in  the 
trees,  the  fountains  murmured,  the  birds  sang,  and  in  gol- 
den light  lay  the  moon  over  this  paradise  of  two  happy 
beings. 

But  vfh&t  is  that  which  is  rustling  in  the  pines  close  to 


222  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

the  wall — what  is  that  looking  out  with  flashing  eyes  and  a 
poisonous  glance?  Is  it  the  serpent  already  come  to  expel 
these  happy  beings  from  their  paradise  ? 

They  see  nothing,  they  hear  nothing,  they  are  both 
dreaming,  so  sure  do  they  feel  of  their  happiness. 

But  there  is  a  continued  rustling.  It  is  unnatural !  It 
resembles  not  the  rustling  of  the  evening  wind !  It  is  not 
the  rustling  of  a  bird,  balancing  itself  upon  the  branch  of 
the  tree  !    What,  then,  is  it  ? 

An  opening  is  made  in  the  foliage,  and  it  is  the  arm  of 
a  man  that  makes  it.  Upon  the  wall  is  to  be  seen  the  form 
of  a  man,  and  near  him  slowly  rises  a  second  form.  Cau- 
tiously he  glances  around,  and  then  makes  a  scornful 
grimace,  while  his  eyes  shine  like  those  of  a  hyena.  He  has 
discovered  the  two  sitting  together  in  happy  security,  and 
enjoying  the  tranquil  beauty  of  the  evening  in  silent  beati- 
tude. He  has  seen  them,  and  points  toward  them  with  his 
finger,  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  lightly  touches  the  arm 
of  the  other  man,  who  has  boldly  swung  himself  up  on  the 
wall.  The  glance  of  the  latter  follows  the  direction  in 
which  the  other  points ;  he  also  now  sees  the  reposing  pair, 
and  over  his  features  also  flits  an  unnatural  smile.  He 
suddenly  fumbles  in  his  bosom,  and  when  his  hand  is  with- 
drawn a  small  dagger  glistens  in  it.  With  a  bold  leap,  the 
man  is  already  on  the  point  of  springing  from  the  wall  into 
the  garden.  The  other  holds  him  back,  and  makes  a 
threatening  counter-movement.  He,  it  seems,  is  the  com- 
mander, and  uses  his  power  with  an  indignant  negative 
shake  of  the  head ;  his  commanding  glance  seems  to  say  : 
"  Be  silent,  and  observe ! " 


THE  LETTERS.  223 

Staring  and  immovably  their  eyes  were  now  fixed  upon 
the  silent  pair  sitting  in  the  bright  moonlight  which  sur- 
rounded them  as  with  a  glory.  One  of  the  men  still  holds 
the  dagger  in  his  hand,  and  with  a  powerful  arm  the  other 
holds  him  in  check.  Then  they  whisper  low  together — they 
seem  to  be  consulting  as  to  what  is  to  be  done.  The  man 
with  the  dagger  seems  to  yield  to  the  arguments  or  persua- 
sions of  the  other.  He  nods  his  consent.  The  first  dis- 
appears behind  the  wall,  and  the  armed  one  slowly  follows 
him.  Yet  once  again  he  glances  over  the  wall,  raising  his 
arm  and  shaking  his  dagger  toward  Natalie  and  her  friend. 
Then  he  disappeared,  and  all  was  again  peaceful  and  still  in 
this  smiling  paradise ! 

Was  it,  perhaps,  only  an  illusive  dream  that  bantered  us, 
only  a  fata  morgana  formed  by  the  moonbeams  ?  Or  does 
the  serpent  of  evil  really  lurk  about  this  paradise  ?  Will 
destruction  find  its  way  into  this  charmed  garden  ?  Ah,  no 
solitude  and  no  wall  can  afford  protection  against  misfor- 
tune !  It  creeps  through  the  strongest  lock,  and  over  the 
highest  wall ;  and  while  we  think  ourselves  safe,  it  is  already 
there,  close  to  us,  and  nearly  ready  to  swallow  us  up. 


CHAPTER   XXIV.. 

THE    LETTERS. 

It  was  suddenly  lively  in  the  garden.  Cecil,  Paulo's  old 
servant,  approached  from  the  house,  with  a  lantern  in  his 
hand. 


224  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

He  comes  down  the  alley  with  hasty  steps,  and  with  an 
anxious  countenance  approaches  his  master. 

"What  is  it,  Cecil?" 
"  Two  letters,  sir,  that  have  just  arrived.     One  comes 
from  the  hotel  of  the  Russian  legation,  and  the  other  from 
that  of  the  Lord-Cardinal  Bernis." 

Paulo  shuddered  slightly,  and  his  hand  involuntarily 
grasped  after  the  first  letter,  but  he  suddenly  constrained 
himself,  and  his  glance  fell  upon  Natalie,  whose  eyes  were 
fixed  with  curiosity  upon  the  two  letters. 

"  We  will  first  see  what  the  good  Cfardinal  Bernis  writes 
us ! "  said  Count  Paulo,  placing  the  Russian  letter  in  his 
pocket  with  apparent  indifference. 

"  Bernis  ?  "  asked  Natalie.  "  Is  not  that  the  French  Car- 
dinal, who  is  at  the  same  time  a  poet,  and  whom  the  pope, 
the  great  Ganganelli,  so  dearly  loves  ?  " 

"  The  same,"  said  Paulo, "  and  besides,  the  same  Cardinal 
Bernis  whom  I  had  months  ago  promised  to  allow  the 
pleasure  of  making  your  acquaintance !  He  already  knows 
you,  Natalie,  although  he  has  never  yet  seen  your  fair  face ; 
he  knows  you  from  what  I  have  told  him." 

"'Oh,  let  us  quickly  see  what  the  good  cardinal  writes ! " 
exclaimed  Natalie,  clapping  her  hands  with  the  impatience 
of  a  child. 

Count  Paulo  smilingly  broke  the  seal  and  read  the 
letter. 

"  You  are  in  truth  a  witch,"  said  he  ;  "  you  must  have 
some  genius  in  your  service,  who  listens  to  every  wish  you 
express,  in  order  to  fulfil  it  without  delay !  This  letter 
contains  an    invitation  from  the  cardinal.      He  gives  a 


THE  LETTERS.  225 

great  entertainment  to-morrow,  and  begs  of  me  that  I 
will  bring  you  to  it.  The  improvisatrice  Gorilla  will  also 
be  there ! " 

"  Oh,  then  I  shall  see  her ! "  exclaimed  the  delighted 
young  maiden.  "  At  length  I  shall  see  a  poetess !  For 
we  shall  go  to  this  entertainment,  shall  we  not,  Paulo  ?  " 

The  count  thoughtfully  cast  down  his  eyes,  and  his  hand 
involuntarily  sought  the  letter  in  his  pocket.  An  expres- 
sion of  deep  care  and  anxiety  was  visible  on  his  features, 
and  Cecil  seemed  to  divine  the  thoughts  of  his  master,  for 
he  also  looked  anxious,  and  a  deep  sigh  escaped  from  his 
breast. — Natalie  perceived  nothing  of  all  this!  She  was 
wholly  occupied  by  the  thought  of  seeing  Gorilla,  the  great 
improvisatrice,  of  whom  Garlo,  Natalie's  music-teacher, 
had  told  her  so  much,  and  whose  fame  was  sounded  by 
children  and  adults  in  all  the  streets  of  Rome. 

"  We  go  to  this  festival,  do  we  not,  Paulo  ? "  repeated 
she,  as  the  count  still  continued  silent. 

Eecovering  from  his  abstraction,  he  said  :  "  Yes,  we  will 
go  !  It  is  time  that  my  Natalie  was  introduced  into  this 
circle  of  influential  Romans,  that  she  may  gain  friends 
among  people  of  importance,  who  may  watch  over  and 
protect  her  when  I  no  longer  can ! " 

"  You  will,  then,  leave  me  ?  "  cried  the  young  maiden, 
turning  pale  and  anxiously  grasping  the  count's  arm. 
"  No,  Paulo,  you  cannot  do  that !  Would  you  leave  me 
because  I,  a  foolish  child,  desired  to  go  to  this  festival,  and 
was  no  longer  contented  with  our  dear  and  beautiful  soli- 
tude ?  That  was  wrong  in  me,  Paulo,  as  I  now  plainly  see, 
and  I  desire  it  no  longer  !    Oh,  we  will  prepare  other  pleas- 


226  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ures  for  ourselves  here  in  our  delightful  paradise.  You 
have  often  called  me  a  poetess,  and  I  will  now  believe  I  am, 
and  no  longer  wish  to  see  another.  I  will  suffice  for  my- 
self !  Come,  I  will  immediately  sing  you  a  song,  a  festival 
song,  my  friend  ! " 

And  taking  her  guitar,  Natalie  struck  some  joyoUs  ac- 
cords ;  but  Count  Paulo  lightly  laid  his  hands  upon  the 
strings  so  as  to  silence  them,  and  drawing  the  tips  of  her 
fingers  to  his  lips,  with  a  slight  shaking  of  his  head,  he 
said :  "  Not  now,  my  charming  poetess,  I  am  not  worthy 
of  hearing  you." 

"  And  it  is  late,"  added  Cecil,  coming  as  it  were  to  the 
aid  of  his  master. 

The  count  rose.  "  Yes,  you  are  right — it  is  late,"  said 
he,  "  and  I  must  not  longer  keep  Natalie  from  her  slumber. 
Come,  my  sweet  child,  you  must  retire ;  3'ou  must  sleep, 
that  your  brow  may  beam  with  blooming  freshness  to- 
morrow ! " 

Natalie  made  no  answer ;  with  a  light  sigh  she  mechan- 
ically took  the  count's  offered  arm. 

Cecil  preceded  them  with  the  lantern  in  his  hand.  Thus 
they -proceeded  up  the  alley  leading  to  the  villa,  all  three 
silent  and  thoughtful.  The  sky  had  become  obscured,  a 
black  cloud  intercepted  the  light  of  the  moon,  and  Natalie's 
charmed  garden  was  suddenly  wrapped  in  gloom. 

A  cold  shudder  ran  through  her  delicate  frame. 

"  A  feeling  of  anxiety  has  come  over  me  ! "  she  whis- 
pered, clinging  closer  to  tlie  count's  side. 

"  Poor  child  !  "  said  the  count.  "  Are  you  already  op- 
pressed with  fear  ?  " 


THE  LETTERS.  227 

"  What  if  the  wall  should  give  way,  and  bad  people 
should  intrude  into  our  garden  !  Ah,  Marianne  says  that 
misfortune  lurks  everywhere  in  the  world,  lying  in  ambush 
for  those  who  think  themselves  safe,  destroying  their  happi- 
ness, and  making  them  wholly  miserable ;  and  people  only 
laugh  and  rejoice  that  another  man's  hopes  have  been 
wrecked  !  Ah,  and  I  have  felt  so  secure  in  my  happiness  ! 
If  misfortune  should  now  actually  come — if  these  walls 
should  prove  not  high  enough  to  keep  it  off !  Ah,  Paulo, 
protect  me  from  lurking  misfortune !  " 

They  had  now  arrived  at  the  door  of  the  villa.  Paulo 
pressed  the  trembling  young  maiden  with  paternal  tender- 
ness to  his  breast,  and,  lightly  touching  her  forehead  with 
his  lips,  he  said :  "  Good-night,  my  love !  Sleep  gently, 
and  be  not  anxious !  So  long  as  1  live,  misfortune  shall 
never  approach  you  !     Rest  assured  of  that ! " 

Thus  speaking,  he  led  her  into  the  house,  where  Mari- 
anne was  waiting  to  accompany  her  to  her  chamber. 

Natalie  silently  followed  her,  but  before  entering  her 
room  she  once  more  turned,  and,  pressing  her  fingers  to  her 
lips,  wafted  kisses  in  the  air  toward  her  friend. 

"  Good-night,  Paulo ! " 

"  Good-night,  Natalie ! " 

The  door  closed  behind  her,  and  the  smile  instantly 
vanished  from  Paulo's  lips.  With  impetuous  haste,  beck- 
oning Cecil  to  follow  him,  he  strode  through  the  corridor 
leading  to  his  own  apartments. 

When  he  had  arrived  there,  and  Cecil  had  closed  the 
door  behind  him,  the  count  with  a  deep  sigh  threw  himself 
upon  a  chair,  whilst  Cecil  silently  busied  himself  in  light- 


228  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ing  the  wax-candles  and  placing  them  upon  the  table  beside 
his  master. 

"Will  not  your  grace  now  read  the  other  letter ?"  he 
timidly  asked,  as  Count  Paulo  still  remained  buried  in 
his  silent  reflections. 

"  Oh,  this  unblessed  letter  !  "  exclaimed  the  count,  with 
a  shudder.  "  I  tell  you,  Cecil,  I  feel  that  it  contains  mis- 
fortune. It  has  lain  with  a  heavy  weight  like  a  nightmare 
upon  my  breast  and  I  yet  felt  not  the  strength  in  me  to 
draw  it  forth  and  read  it  in  Natalie's  presence ! " 

"  That  was  well ! "  said  Cecil,  "  and  it  was  for  that 
reason  that  I  told  you  in  advance  that  the  letter  was 
from  Russia,  that  you  might  be  on  your  guard.  But 
now.  Sir  Count,  we  are  alone,  and  now  you  can  read 
it!" 

"  Yes,  away  with  this  childish  fear ! "  cried  the  count, 
with  resolution.  "  I  will  be  a  man,  Cecil,  and  whatever  this 
letter  may  contain,  I  will  bear  it  like  a  man ! " 

Drawing  forth  the  letter,  he  broke  the  seal  with  a 
trembling  hand,  and  threw  the  cover  across  the  room. 
Then  unfolding  the  letter,  he  read.  Behind  him  stood 
Cecil,  involuntarily  trembling  with  anxious  expectation. 

The  letter  fell  from  the  count's  hands,  and  a  deadly 
paleness  spread  over  his  face,  which  bore  the  expression  of 
utter  despair. 

"  Oh,  my  prophetic  soul !  "  he  sighed. 

"  Your  presentiment  is  then  fulfilled  ! "  anxiously  asked 
Cecil. 

"  Yes,  it  is  fulfilled !  My  property  is  sequestrated  ;  they 
refuse  to  send  me  the  money  I  required ;  they  command  my 


THE  LETTERS.  229 

immediate  return  to  Russia,  as  my  conge  has  expired  and 
my  respite  is  at  an  end  !  " 

"  And  you  are  lost,  my  lord,  if  you  do  not  obey  this 
command  ! "  said  Cecil. 

"  And  Natalie  ?  "  reproachfully  asked  the  count.  "  Can 
I,  dare  I  leave  her  ?  " 

"  She  is  much  safer  without  than  with  you !  They  may 
not  yet  suspect  who  she  is  !  It  is  very  possible  that  it  in 
reality  only  is  because  your  leave  of  absence  has  expired,  as 
the  laws  of  Russia  require  that  every  absentee  should  return 
to  his  country  once  in  every  four  years.  Fulfill,  therefore, 
this  hard  duty.  Pretend  to  suppose  that  your  recall  is  for 
no  other  reason  than  the  renewal  of  your  passport,  and  the 
giving  you  an  opportunity  to  pay  your  homage  to  the  em- 
press. Appear  innocent  and  unconcerned,  and  all  may  yet 
go  well ! " 

"  No,"  gloomily  replied  the  count,  "  nothing  will  go 
well  any  more!  The  whole  future  stands  before  me  in 
clear  and  distincts  traits — a  future  full  of  shame  and  hor- 
ror !  Oh,  would  it  not  be  better  to  flee  from  that  future 
and  seek  in  some  remote  and  hidden  valley  a  place  where, 
perhaps,  misfortune  cannot  reach,  nor  destruction  over- 
take us ! " 

"  How  ?  "  reproachfully  asked  Cecil.  "  Is  it  Count 
Paulo  who  speaks  thus?  Is  it  the  pupil  whom  I  taught  to 
defy  misfortune  and  rise  superior  to  disaster  with  cour- 
ageous self-confidence  ?  Is  it  the  son  of  my  heart  for  whom 
I  have  left  all,  sacrificed  all,  for  whom  I  have  offered  up  my 
fatherland,  my  freedom,  and  my  independence;  whom  I 
shall  love  until  my  last  breath  ?     Paulo,  pluck  up  a  good 


230  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

heart,  my  son  !  You  have  proposed  to  yourself  a  great  end, 
which  was  only  to  be  reached  by  thorny  and  dangerous 
paths ;  will  you  now  stop  at  the  first  cross-road  and  return 
upon  your  steps,  instead  of  pressing  forward  sword  in  hand  ? 
No,  no,  I  know  you  better,  my  son ;  this  momentary  hesi- 
tation will  pass  away,  and  you  will  again  be  great  and 
strong  for  the  struggle  and  the  victory  !  " 

With  a  faint  smile  Count  Paulo  gave  him  his  hand. 
"  You  know  not,  my  friend,  how  great  is  the  sacrifice  you 
demand  of  me ! "  said  he,  in  a  subdued  tone.  "  I  must 
leave  Natalie.  I  must  never  see  her  more,  never  more 
draw  consolation  from  her  glance,  nor  hope  from  her 
charming  smile !  Oh,  Cecil,  you  have  no  idea  of  what 
Natalie  is  to  me ;  you  know  not  that  I — " 

"  I  know,"  interposed  Cecil,  solemnly,  "  I  know  that 
you  have  sworn  upon  the  holy  book  to  protect  her  with 
your  life  from  every  injury ;  I  know  that  you  have  sworn 
never  to  give  rest  to  yourself  until  you  have  reinstated  her 
in  her  inherited  rights,  and  that,  until  then,  she  shall  be 
sacred  to  you,  sacred  as  a  sister,  sacred  as  a  daughter  whose 
honor  you  will  protect  and  defend  against  every  outrage, 
against  even  every  sinful  thought.  That  have  you  sworn, 
and  I  know  you  will  hold  your  word  sacred  and  keep  your 
oath ! " 

Count  Paulo  dropped  his  head  upon  his  breast  and 
sighed  deeply. 

"  I  must  therefore  leave  her ! "  said  he. 

"  Your  own  welfare  demands  it." 

"But  how  is  she  to  live  during  our  absence?  Our 
money  will  not  suffice  to  the  end.     Alas !  we  had  so  surely 


THE  LETTERS.  231 

calculated  on  this,  remittance  from  my  estates,  and  now  it 
fails  us ! " 

"  We  will  sell  that  costly  ornament  of  brilliants  which 
you  had  destined  as  a  present  for  Natalie  on  her  seventeenth 
birthday." 

"  Ah,"  sighed  the  count,  "  you  have  a  means  for  the  re- 
moval of  every  obstacle.     I  must  therefore  go !  " 

"  And  I  go  with  you,"  said  Cecil.  "  I  would,  if  it  must 
be  so,  be  able  to  die  for  you  !  " 

"  They  will  destroy  all  three  of  us ! "  said  the  count. 
"  Believe  me,  the  knife  is  already  sharpened  for  our  throats  ! 
Believe  also,  Cecil,  that  I  tremble  not  from  fear  of  death. 
But  I  fear  for  Natalie  !  Ah,  I  already  seem  .to  see  the  ap- 
proach of  her  murderers,  to  see  them  seize  her  with  their 
bloody  hands,  and  I  shall  not  be  there  to  protect  her !  " 

While  Count  Paulo  thus  spoke,  with  a  sad,  foreboding 
soul,  those  two  mysterious  men,  who  had  so  threateningly 
watched  and  listened  to  Natalie  and  her  friend,  still  re- 
mained under  the  wall. 

The  one  still  held  the  dagger  in  his  hand,  and  was  un- 
quietly  walking  back  and  forth  near  his  companion,  who 
had  calmly  thrown  himself  upon  the  ground. 

"  You  did  wrong  to  hinder  me,  Beppo,"  he  angrily  said. 
"  It  would  have  been  best  to  have  finished  them  at  once. 
The  occasion  could  not  have  been  more  favorable — the  soli- 
tary garden,  the  nightly  stillness  and  obscurity.  Ah,  one 
blow  would  have  done  the  business  !  " 

"  Well,  and  what  if  the  gentleman  who  sat  near  her  had 
seized  you  before  the  blow  was  struck  ?  IIow  then  ?  "  asked 
the  other.    "  You  are  yet  but  a  novice  and  a  bungler,  friend 


232      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Giuseppo.  You  yet  lack  discretion,  the  tranquil  glance,  the 
sure  hand !  You  always  suffer  yourself  to  become  excited, 
which  is  unartistic  and  even  dangerous.  We  went  out  to- 
day only  to  obtain  information ;  we  were  only  to  discover 
and  observe  the  signora,  and  perhaps  to  watch  for  an  oppor- 
tunity. But  to  fall  upon  her  in  this  garden  would  have 
been  the  extreme  of  stupidity,  for  we  had  all  the  servants 
and  the  hounds  against  us,  and  it  is  one  of  the  first  princi- 
ples of  our  profession  to  put  others  in  danger,  but  never  to 
incur  it  ourselves." 

"  Wherefore,  then,  have  we  come  here?"  cried  Guiseppo, 
with  vehemence. 

"  To  see  her  and  know  her,  that  we  may  surely  recog- 
nize her  again  when  the  right  hour  comes.  And  that  hour 
will  come — I  will  answer  for  it.  Did  not  the  signora  tell 
us  that  this  lady  would  probably  attend  the  festival  of 
Cardinal  Bernis  ?  " 

"  She  said  so." 

"  Well,  and  we  have  come  here  that  we  might  see  and 
know  her  in  advance.  She  is  very  beautiful,  and  a  truly  re- 
spectable person,  Giuseppo.  I  am  pleased  with  the  idea  of 
this  festival  of  the  French  cardinal.  I  think  it  will  afford 
much  business  in  our  line." 


DIPLOMATIC  QUARRELS.  233 

•     CHAPTER  XXV. 

DIPLOMATIC    QUARRELS.^ 

Ik  the  palace  of  the  French  ambassador  at  Rome,  Car- 
dinal Bernis,  there  was  an  unusually  busy  movement  to-day. 
From  the  kitchen-boys  to  the  major-domo,  all  were  in  a 
most  lively  motion,  in  the  most  passionate  activity.  For 
this  morning,  while  taking  his  chocolate,  the  cardinal  had 
sent  for  his  major-domo,  and,  quite  contrary  to  the  usual 
joviality  of  his  manner,  had  very  seriously  and  solemnly 
said  to  him  :  "  Signer  Brunelli,  I  to-day  intrust  you  with  a 
very  important  and  responsible  duty,  that  of  making  as 
splendid  as  possible  the  grand  festival  we  are  three  days 
hence  to  give  in  honor  of  the  Archduke  Ferdinand.  No 
pains  must  be  spared,  nothing  must  be  wanting  ;  the  most 
luxurious  richness,  the  most  tasteful  decoration,  the  most 
extravagant  splendor  must  be  exhibited.  For  this  enter- 
tainment must  excite  the  attention  not  only  of  Rome,  but 
of  all  Europe  ;  it  must  become  the  subject  of  conversation 
at  all  the  courts,  and,  above  all,  it  must  cause  the  despair  of 
all  present  ambassadorial  housekeeping.  I  have  very  im- 
portant diplomatic  reasons  for  this.  All  Europe  shall  see 
how  devoted  France  is  to  the  empire  of  Austria,  and  what  a 
good  understanding  subsists  between  the  two  courts. 
Therefore,  Signor  Brunelli,  strain  your  inventive  head,  that 
it  may  on  this  occasion  hit  upon  whatever  is  most  distin- 
guished and  pre-eminent,  for  this  must  be  an  entertainment 
never  before  equalled.  Tliat  is  what  I  expect,  what  I  de- 
mand of  you  ;  and  if  you  satisfy  my  demands,  it  will  give 
16 


234      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

me  pleasure  to  reward  your  zeal  by  a  present  of  a  hundred 
ducats." 

Thus  with  solemn  dignity  spoke  the  cardinal,  while  sip- 
ping his  chocolate ;  and  Signor  Brunelli  had  pledged  him- 
self by  a  solemn  oath  punctually  to  fulfil  his  master's  com- 
mands, and  to  astonish  Rome  with  an  entertainment  such 
as  had  never  been  recorded  in  the  annals  of  diplomatic 
history. 

With  a  proud  step  had  Brunelli  gone  to  his  own  private 
cabinet,  where,  having  shut  himself  up,  he  had  devoted 
several  hours  to  serious  meditation  upon  the  deep  plans 
presenting  themselves  to  his  mind.  But  Signor  Brunelli 
had,  in  fact,  a  very  experienced  and  inventive  head,  and  the 
cardinal  acted  wisely  in  confiding  in  his  major-domo  and 
leaving  to  him  the  ordering  of  the  entertainment. 

He  had  now,  with  the  sharp  glance  of  a  military  com- 
mander, arranged  his  plan  of  battle,  and  felt  perfectly  sure 
of  victory.  He  therefore  rang  for  a  servant,  and  com- 
manded the  attendance  of  the  chief  cook  in  the  cabinet  of 
the  major-domo.  Then  with  a  gentlemanlike  listlessness 
he  threw  himself  upon  a  divan  and  began  to  sip  his  coffee 
with  the  exact  dignified  deportment  that  had  been  dis- 
played by  his  excellency  the  cardinal. 

"  Signor  Gianettino,"  said  he,  to  the  entering  cook,  *'  I 
propose  honoring  you  to-day  with  a  very  important  and 
significant  affair.  I  wish,  on  the  day  after  to-morrow,  to 
prepare  an  entertainment  which  in  splendor  and  magnifi- 
cence shall  surpass  anything  hitherto  seen.  You  know  that 
the  major-domos  of  the  other  diplomatists  have  become  my 
irreconcilable  enemies  through  envy ;  they  cannot  forgive 


DIPLOMATIC  QUARRELS.  235 

me  for  having  more  inventive  faculties  and  better  taste 
than  any  of  them  !  We  must  bring  these  major-domos  to 
despair,  and  with  a  gnashing  of  teeth  they  shall  acknowl- 
edge that  in  all  things  I  am  their  master.  You,  however, 
must  aid  me  in  this  great  work;  in  your  hands,  Signor 
Gianettino,  lies  a  considerable  part  of  my  triumph  and  my 
laurels.  For  what  does  it  help  me,  if  the  arrangements 
and  decorations,  if  the  whole  establishment,  are  excellent, 
should  there  be  a  failure  in  the  highest  and  most  sublime 
part  of  the  entertainment — in  the  food.  The  food,  my 
dear  sir,  and  a  well-ordered  table,  is  the  gist  of  a  festival, 
and  should  there  be  the  least  failure  in  that,  the  whole  is 
profaned  and  desecrated,  and  must  be  covered  with  a 
mourning- veil.  Take  my  words  to  heart,  signor;  let  us 
have  a  table  covered  with  food  the  mere  odor  of  which  shall 
set  our  first  gourmets  in  ecstatic  astonishment,  while  its 
judicious  arrangement  will  give  pleasure  to  the  poetic 
mind !  This  is  what  I  expect  of  you,  and  if  you  succeed 
in  satisfying  my  requirements,  I  am  ready  to  reward  your 
exertions  with  fifty  bottles  of  our  best  French  wines." 

Signor  Gianettino  returned  his  thanks  with  a  pleasant, 
thoughtful  smile,  and  with  a  majestic  step  repaired  to  his 
boudoir,  where  he  was  seen  for  a  long  time,  walking  back 
and  forth  in  deep  thought  and  with  a  wrinkled  brow. 
Then,  stepping  to  his  writing-table,  he  sketched  the  plan 
of  this  inordinately  great  dinner,  at  first  slowly  and  thought- 
fully, and  then  with  constantly  more  and  more  fire  and 
enthusiasm,  carried  away  by  the  greatness  of  the  occasion, 
and  animated  by  the  importance  of  his  mission  and  his 
callins:. 


236  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

Then,  throwing  aside  the  pen,  and  exhausted  by  so  great 
an  effort,  he  gently  glided  down  upon  the  divan,  at  the 
same  time  ringing  for  a  servant  whom  he  directed  to  bring 
his  breakfast  and  afterward  to  summon  all  the  cooks  and 
scullions  to  his  cabinet.  He  then  stretched  himself  with 
eminent  grace  upon  the  divan,  as  he  had  seen  the  major- 
domo  do ;  with  a  serious  thoughtfulness  he  sipped  the 
glass  of  Malvoisie  the  servant  had  brought  him,  with 
■  sundry  pates  and  rare  entremets. 

And  they  came,  the  cooks  and  scullions,  they  came  in 
their  white  jackets,  with  their  white  aprons  and  snow-white 
caps ;  they  came  in  solemn  silence,  fully  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  the  moment. 

"  Signers,"  said  the  chief  cook,  "  it  is  on  a  beautiful  and 
sublime  affair  that  I  have  assembled  you  here  to-day.  It 
concerns  an  increase  of  the  fame  and  triumphs  we  have  so 
many  times  gained  over  our  diplomatic  rivals,  and  an  in- 
crease of  the  laurels  we  have  won  in  the  sacred  realms  of 
our  art !  I  propose  to  prepare  a  banquet  for  to-morrow, 
and  for  that  I  require  your  support  and  aid,  gentlemen. 
For  what  is  the  use  of  ever  so  good  a  plan  of  battle  of  a 
commander-in-chief,  if  his  troops  fail  in  courage  and  skill 
to  carry  out  the  plan  of  their  general  ?  Gentlemen,  I  doubt 
not  your  courage  or  skill !  You  will  contend  for  the  sake 
of  the  fame  we  have  acquired  and  hitherto  enjoyed  without 
dispute,  for  the  sake  of  the  fame  which  the  French  cuisine 
has  enjoyed  for  centuries,  and  which  must  be  preserved  un- 
til the  end  of  all  things  !  You  will  stand  by  me,  gentlemen, 
in  the  praiseworthy  effort  to  acquire  new  glory  for  France, 
by  showing  these  little  Austrian  princes  and  these  gentle- 


DIPLOMATIC  QUARRELS.  237 

men  diplomatists  what  wonderful  things  the  French  art  of 
cookery  can  bring  to  pass.  The  plan  is  devised  and 
sketched,  and  all  that  is  now  required  is  its  execution.  If 
this  great  work  succeeds,  then,  gentlemen,  you  may  feel 
assured  of  my  eternal  gratitude — a  gratitude  which  I  will 
prove  to  you  by  leaving  all  the  remains  of  the  dinner  to 
your  free  use  and  sole  benefit !  Here  is  the  plan,  hasten  to 
the  work;  I  have  assigned  to  each  one  the  part  he  is  to 
take  in  its  accomplishment.  Hasten,  therefore  !  I,  however, 
by  way  of  exception,  will  myself  go  to  the  market  to-day  and 
make  the  necessary  purchases.  On  such  an  important  occa- 
sion, no  one,  however  highly  placed,  must  decline  labor  and 
the  faithful  performance  of  duty.  I  go,  therefore,  and  six 
of  the  kitchen-boys  may  follow  me  with  their  baskets." 

Thus  speaking,  the  chief  cook,  Signer  Gianettino,  took 
his  hat  and  gold-headed  cane  to  go  to  the  market.  Six 
kitchen-boys,  armed  with  large  baskets,  followed  him  at  a 
respectful  distance. 

At  the  great  vegetable  and  fish-market  of  Rome  there 
was  to-day  a  very  unusual  and  extraordinary  life  and  move- 
ment. There  was  a  crowd  and  tumult,  a  roaring  and 
screaming,  a  shouting  and  laughing,  such  as  had  not  been 
heard  for  a  long  time.  It  was  partly  in  consequence  of  the 
fact  that  the  whole  diplomatic  corps  had  been  for  some  days 
agitated  with  preparations  for  entertainments  in  honor  of 
the  Archduke  Ferdinand,  who  had  come  to  Rome  to  see  the 
wonders  of  the  holy  city,  and  who  could  hardly  find  time 
and  leisure  for  the  festivities  offered  him.  But  for  the 
tradesmen  and  dealers,  for  the  country  people  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Rome,  this  presence  of  the  Austrian  prince  was  a 


238  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

happy  circumstance ;  for  these  banquets  and  festivals  scat- 
tered money  among  the  people,  and  the  dealers  and  honest 
country  people  could  fearlessly  raise  their  prices,  as  they 
were  sure  of  a  sale  for  their  commodities.  The  cooks  and 
servants  of  the  diplomatists  and  cardinals  were  seen  running 
hither  and  thither  in  busy  haste,  everywhere  selecting  the 
best,  everywhere  buying  and  cheapening. 

But  in  one  place  in  the  market  there  was  to-day  an 
especial  liveliness  and  activity  among  the  crowd,  and  to  that 
spot  Signor  Gianettino  bent  his  steps.  He  had  seen  the 
cook  of  the  Spanish  ambassador,  the  Duke  of  Grimaldi, 
among  those  collected  there,  and  as  this  cook  was  one  of  his 
bitterest  enemies  and  opponents,  Signor  Gianettino  re- 
solved to  watch  him,  and,  if  possible,  to  play  him  a  trick. 
He  therefore  cautiously  mingled  with  the  crowd,  and  made 
a  sign  to  his  followers  to  keep  at  a  distance  from  him. 

It  was  certainly  a  very  important  affair  with  which  the 
Spanish  cook  Don  Bempo  was  occupied,  as  it  concerned  the 
purchase  of  a  fish  that  a  countryman  had  brought  to  the 
city,  of  such  a  monstrous  size  and  weight  that  the  like  had 
never  been  seen  there.  It  was  the  most  remarkable  specimen 
with  which  the  Roman  fish-market  had  ever  been  honored. 
But  the  lucky  fisherman  was  fully  aware  of  the  extraordi- 
nary beauty  of  his  fish,  and  in  his  arrogant  pride  demanded 
twenty  ducats  for  it. 

That  was  what  troubled  Don  Bempo.  Twenty  ducats 
for  one  single  fish,  and  the  major-domo  of  the  Spanish  am- 
bassador had  urged  upon  him  the  most  stringent  economy ; 
but  he  had,  indeed,  at  the  same  time  urged  upon  him  to 
provide  everything  as  splendid  as  possible  for  the  banquet 


DIPLOMATIC  QUARRELS.  239 

which  the  Duke  of  Grimaldi  was  to  give  in  lionor  of  the 
Archduke  Ferdinand ;  indeed,  he  had  with  an  anxious  sigh 
commanded  him  to  outdo  if  possible  the  next  day's  feast  of 
Cardinal  Bernis,  and  to  provide  yet  rarer  and  more  costly 
viands  than  the  French  cook. 

That  was  what  Don  Bempo  was  now  considering,  and 
what  made  him  waver  in  his  first  determination  not  to  buy 
the  fish. 

There  was  only  this  one  gigantic  fish  in  the  market ; 
and,  if  he  bought  it.  Signer  Gianettino,  his  enemy,  of  course 
could  not  possess  it ;  the  triumph  of  the  day  would  then 
inure  to  the  Spanish  embassy,  and  Don  Bempo  would  come 
off  conqueror.  That  was  indeed  a  very  desirable  object, 
but — twenty  ducats  was  still  an  enormous  price,  and  was 
not  at  all  reconcilable  with  the  recommended  economy. 

At  any  rate  he  dared  not  buy  the  fish  without  first  con- 
sulting the  major-domo  of  the  duke. 

"You  will  not,  then,  sell  this  fish  for  twelve  ducats?" 
asked  Don  Bempo,  just  as  Gianettino  had  unnoticedly  ap- 
proached. "  Keflect,  man,  twelve  ducats  are  a  fortune — it 
is  a  princely  payment !  " 

The  fisherman  contemptuously  shook  hisliead.  "  Rather 
than  sell  it  for  twelve  ducats  I  would  eat  it  myself,"  said  he, 
"and  invite  my  friends,  these  good  Romans,  as  guests! 
Go,  go,  sublime  Spanish  Don,  and  buy  gudgeons  for  your 
pair  of  miserable  ducats !  Such  a  fish  as  this  is  too  dear  for 
you  ;  you  Spanish  gentlemen  should  buy  gudgeons ! " 

"  Bravo  !  bravo  !  "  cried  the  laughing  spectators.  "  Gud- 
geons for  the  Spanish  gentlemen  with  high-nosed  faces  and 
empty  pockets ! " 


240  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

Don  Bempo  blushed  with  anger  and  wounded  pride.  "  I 
shall  unquestionably  buy  this  fish,"  said  he,  "  for  nothing  is 
too  dear  for  my  master  when  the  honor  of  our  nation  is  to 
be  upheld.  But  you  must  allow  me  time  to  go  home  and 
get  the  money  from  the  major-domo.  Keep  the  fish,  there- 
fore, so  long,  and  I  will  return  with  the  twenty  ducats 
for  it." 

And  majestically  Don  Bempo  made  himself  a  path 
through  the  crowd,  which  laughingly  stepped  aside  for 
him,  shouting :  "  Gudgeons  for  the  Spanish  gentleman ! 
Viva  Don  Bempo,  who  pays  twenty  ducats  for  a  fish ! " 

"  He  will  certainly  not  come  back,"  said  the  fisherman, 
shaking  his  head. 

"  He  goes  to  buy  gudgeons  !  "  cried  another. 

"  What  will  you  bet  that  he  returns  to  buy  the  fish  ?  " 
said  a  third. 

"  He  will  not  buy  it ! "  interposed  a  fourth.  "  These 
Spaniards  have  no  money ;  they  are  poor  devils !  " 

"  Who  dares  say  that  ?  "  shrieked  another,  and  now  sud- 
denly followed  one  of  those  quarrels  which  are  so  quickly 
excited  on  the  least  occasion  among  the  passionate  people 
of  the  south.  *There  was  much  rage,  abuse,  and  noise. 
How  flashed  the  eyes,  how  shook  the  fists,  what  threats 
resounded  there ! 

"  Peace,  my  dear  friends,  be  quiet,  I  tell  you  ! "  cried  the 
fisherman,  with  his  stentorian  voice.  "  See,  there  comes  a 
new  purchaser  for  my  fish.  Be  quiet,  and  let  us  see  how 
much  France  is  disposed  to  offer  us." 

The  disturbance  subsided  as  suddenly  as  it  had  arisen, 
and  all  pressed  nearer ;  all  directed  interrogating,  curious, 


DIPLOMATIC   QUARRELS.  241 

expectant  glances  at  Signer  Gianettino,  who  just  at  that 
moment  approached  with  a  proud  and  grave  step,  followed 
by  the  solemn  train  of  six  scullions  with  their  baskets. 

No  one  had  before  remarked  him  in  the  crowd,  for 
they  had  been  all  eyes  and  ears  for  Don  Bempo,  and 
hence  every  one  supposed  that  he  had  only  just  then 
arrived. 

The  shrewd  chief  cook  also  assumed  the  appearance  of 
having  only  accidentally  passed  that  way  without  the  inten- 
tion of  buying  any  thing. 

But  he  suddenly  stopped  before  the  great  fish  as  if 
astonished  at  its  enormous  size,  and  seemed  to  view  it  with 
admiration  and  delight. 

"  What  a  rare  and  splendid  animal  is  this  !  "  he  finally 
exclaimed  with  animation.  "  Really,  one  must  come  to 
Rome  to  see  such  a  wonder  ! " 

"  That  is  understood  !  "  exultingly  cried  the  bystanders, 
who  had  a  reverence  for  the  fishes  of  Rome. 

"  This  is  no  niggard  !  He  will  not  be  so  mean  as  to 
offer  twelve  ducats  for  such  a  miracle  as  this ! " 

"Twelve  ducats!"  cried  Gianettino,  folding  his  hands. 
"  How  can  you  think  me  so  pitiful  as  to  offer  such  a  miser- 
able sum  for  so  noble  a  fish.  No,  truly,  he  must  have  a 
bold  forehead  who  would  offer  so  little  money  for  this 
splendid  animal ! " 

"  Hear  him  !  hear ! "  cried  the  people.  "  This  is  a 
learned  man.  He  knows  something  of  the  value  of  rari- 
ties ! " 

"  Viva !     Long  life  to  the  French  cook,  il  grande  minis- 
tro  della  cucina  !  " 


242  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS, 

Giauettino  bowed  politely  in  response  to  the  compliment, 
and  then  civilly  asked  the  price  of  the  fish. 

The  fisherman  stood  there  with  an  expression  of  regret- ' 
ful  sadness  upon  his  face.     "  I  fear  it  will  be  of  little  use  to 
name  the  price ! "  said  he,  "  the  fish  is  as  good  as  sold ! " 

"  Nevertheless,  name  the  price !  " 

"  Twenty  ducats !  " 

"  Twenty  ducats ! "  exclaimed  Gianettino,  with  an  ex- 
pression of  the  liveliest  astonishment.  "  You  jest,  my 
friend !  How  can  such  a  splendid  animal  be  possibly  sold 
for  twenty  ducats  ?  " 

"  Hear  !  hear  ! "  shouted  the  crowd.  "  He  finds  the 
price  too  low  ! " 

"  He  is  a  real  gentleman  !  " 

"  He  will  not  buy  gudgeons  like  the  Spaniard  ! " 

"  In  earnest,  friend,  tell  me  the  price  of  this  fish  ! "  said 
Gianettino. 

"  I  have  demanded  twenty  ducats  for  it,"  sadly  re- 
sponded the  fisherman,  "  and  it  is  sold  for  that  sum." 

"  Impossible  !  In  that  case  it  would  not  be  lying  here ! " 
replied  Gianettino.  "  Or  has  the  man  paid  you  the  money, 
and. now  gone  for  a  cart  for  the  conveyance  of  the  giant  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  yet  been  paid." 

"  The  purchaser,  then,  has  given  you  earnest  money  ?  " 

"No,  not  even  that.  I  have  yet  received  nothing, 
upon  it." 

"  And  you  can  pretend  that  you  have  sold  this  fish," 
cried  Gianettino,  "  and  that,  too,  for  the  ridiculously  small 
sum  of  twenty  ducats !  Ah,  you  are  a  joker,  my  good  man ; 
you  wish  to  excite  in  me  a  desire  for  this  rare  specimen, 


DIPLOMATIC  QUARRELS.  243 

and  therefore  you  say  it  is  sold.  But  how  cau  a  fish  that 
yet  lies  exposed  for  sale,  and  for  which  no  one  has  made 
you  a  suitable  offer,  be  already  sold  ?  " 

And  gravely  approaching  the  giant  of  the  waters, 
Gianettino  laid  his  hand  upon  his  head  and  solemnly  said : 
"  The  fish  is  mine.  I  purchase  it ;  you  demand  twenty 
ducats !  But  I  shall  give  you  what  you  ought  to  have,  and 
what  the  creature  is  worth  !  I  shall  pay  you  six-and-thirty 
ducats  for  him  ! "  * 

The  crowd,  which  had  maintained  an  anxious  and 
breathless  silence  during  this  negotiation,  now  broke  out 
with  a  loud  and  exulting  shout. 

"  That  is  a  real  nobleman  ! " 

"  Evviva  il  ministro  della  cucina !  II  grande  Gianet- 
tino!'' 

"  That  is  no  parsimonious  Spaniard  !  He  is  a  French 
cavalier.  He  will  buy  no  gudgeons,  but  will  have  the  right 
Roman  fish." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Gianettino,  modestly  casting  down 
his  eyes,  "  I  do  not  understand  your  praises,  and  it  seems  to 
me  I  only  deal  like  a  man  of  honor,  as  every  one  of  you 
would  do !  This  honest  man  taxes  his  wares  too  low ;  I 
give  him  what  they  are  worth  !  That  is  all.  If  I  acted 
otherwise  I  should  not  long  remain  in  the  service  of  the 
lofty  and  generous  Cardinal  Bernis  !  Justice  and  gener- 
osity, that  is  the  first  command  of  his  excellency !  " 

"  Evviva  the  French  ambassador  !  " 

"  Praise  and  honor  to  Cardinal  Bernis ! " 

♦Archenholz,  "England  and  Italy," vol.  iv..  p.  217. 


244  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AJ^  EMPRESS. 

And  while  the  people  were  thus  shouting,  Gianettino 
from  his  well-filled  purse  paid  down  the  six-and-thirty 
ducats  upon  the  fisherman's  board.  He  then  commanded 
his  six  attendant  scullions  to  bear  off  the  fish. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  heavy  work  to  place  the  enormous 
animal  upon  their  baskets,  but  the  active  Romans  cheer- 
fully lent  a  hand,  and  when  they  had  succeeded  in  the  dif- 
ficult task,  and  the  six  youngsters  bent  under  their  heavy 
load,  Signer  Gianettino  gravely  put  himself  at  the  head 
of  the  train,  and  proudly  gave  the  order :  "  Forward  to 
the  kitchen  of  his  excellency  Cardinal  Bernis ! " 

At  this  moment  a  man  was  seen  making  his  way  through 
the  crowd  ;  thrusting  right  and  left  with  his  elbows,  he  in- 
cessantly pushed  on,  and,  just  as  Signer  Gianettino  had 
fairly  got  his  troop  in  motion,  the  man,  who  was  no  other 
than  Don  Bempo,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  fisherman's 
table. 

"  Here,  I  bring  you  the  twentyducats,"  he  proudly  called 
out.  "  They  will  no  longer  say  that  the  Spaniards  buy  gud- 
geons.    The  fish  is  mine  !     There  are  your  twenty  ducats !  " 

And,  with  a  supercilious  air,  Don  Bempo  threw  the 
money  upon  the  table. 

But  just  as  proudly  did  the  fisherman  push  back  the 
money.     "  The  fish  is  sold  !  "  said  he. 

"  Forward,  march  !  "  repeated  Signer  Gianettino  his 
word  of  command.  "  Forward  to  the  kitchen  of  his  excel- 
lency Cardinal  Bernis ! " 

And  with  solemn  dignity  the  train  began  to  move. 

Don  Bempo  with  a  cry  of  rage  rushed  upon  the  fish. 

"  This  fish  is  mine,"  he  wildly  cried,  "  I  was  the  first  to 


DIPLOMATIC  QUARRELS.  245 

offer  its  price,  I  offered  twenty  ducats,  and  only  went  home 
to  get  the  money  !  " 

"  And  I,"  exclaimed  Signer  Gianettino,  "  I  offered  thirty- 
six  ducats,  and  immediately  paid  the  cash,  as  I  always  have 
money  by  me." 

"  It  is  Signor  Gianettino,  the  cook  of  the  French  ambas- 
sador, and  I  am  ruined  !  "  groaned  Don  Bempo,  staggering 
back. 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  cook  of  his  excellency  the  cardinal ! " 
cried  the  crowd. 

"  And  the  cardinal  is  an  honorable  man  ! " 

"  He  is  no  Spanish  niggard  !  " 

"  He  does  not  haggle  for  a  giant  fish ;  he  pays  more  than 
is  demanded ! " 

"  I  hope,"  said  Signor  Gianettino  to  Don  Bempo,  who 
still  convulsively  grasped  the  fish,  "  that  you  will  now  take 
your  hands  from  my  property  and  leave  me  to  go  my  way 
without  further  hinderance.  It  is  not  noble  to  lay  hands 
on  the  goods  of  another,  Don  Bempo,  and  this  fish  is 
mine ! " 

"  But  this  is  contrary  to  all  international  law  ! "  exclaimed 
the  enraged  Don  Bempo.  "  You  forget,  signor,  that  you 
insult  my  master,  that  you  insult  Spain,  by  withholding 
from  me  by  main  force  what  I  have  purchased  in  the  name 
of  Spain." 

"  France  will  never  stand  second  to  Spain ! "  proudly 
responded  Gianettino,  "and  where  Spain  offers  twenty 
ducats,  France  pays  six-and-thirty  ! — Forward,  my  young- 
sters !     To  the  kitchen  of  the  French  ambassador  ! " 

And  ungently  pushing   back  Don  Bempo,  Gianettino 


246  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

solemnly  marched  through  the  crowd  with  his  retinue,  the 
people  readily  making  a  path  for  him  and  cheering  him  as 
he  went. 

It  was  a  brilliant  triumph  in  the  person  of  the  chief 
cook  of  their  ambassador,  which  the  French  celebrated  to- 
day ;  it  was  a  shameful  defeat  which  Spain  suffered  to-day 
in  the  person  of  her  ambassador's  chief  cook. 

Proud  and  happy  marched  Signor  Gianettino  through 
the  streets,  accompanied  by  his  gigantic  fish,  and  followed 
by  the  shouts  of  a  Roman  mob. 

Humiliated,  with  eyes  cast  down,  with  rage  in  his  heart 
sneaked  Don  Bempo  toward  the  Spanish  ambassador's  hotel, 
and  long  heard  behind  him  the  whistling,  laughter,  and  cat- 
calls of  the  Roman  people. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE   FISH   FEUD. 

Cardinal  Bernis  was  in  his  boudoir.  Before  him  lay 
the  list  of  those  persons  whom  he  had  invited  to  his  enter- 
tainment of  the  next  day,  and  he  saw  with  proud  satisfac- 
tion that  all  had  accepted  his  invitation. 

"  I  shall,  then,  have  a  brilliant  and  stately  society  to 
meet  this  Austrian  archduke,"  said  the  well-contented  car- 
dinal to  himself.  "  The  elite  of  the  nobility,  all  the  cardi- 
nals and  ambassadors,  will  make  their  appearance,  and  Aus- 
tria will  be  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  France  maintains 
the  best  understanding  with  all  the  European  powers,  and 


THE  FISH   FEUD.  247 

that  she  is  not  the  less  respected  because  the  Marquise  de 
Pompadour  is  in  fact  King  of  France." 

"Ah,  this  good  marquise,"  continued  the  cardinal, 
stretching  himself  comfortably  upon  his  lounge  and  tak- 
ing an  open  letter  from  the  table,  "  this  good  marquise 
gives  me  in  fact  some  cause  for  anxiety.  She  writes  me 
here  that  France  is  in  favor  of  the  project  of  Portugal  for 
the  suppression  of  the  order  of  the  Jesuits,  and  I  am  so  to 
inform  the  pope !  This  is  a  dangerous  thing,  marquise,  and 
may  possibly  burn  your  tender  fingers.  The  suppression  of 
the  Jesuits  !  Is  not  that  to  explode  a  powder-barrel  in  the 
midst  of  Europe,  that  may  shatter  all  the  states  ?  No,  no, 
it  is  foolhardiness,  and  I  have  not  the  courage  to  apply  the 
match  to  this  powder-barrel !  I  fear  it  may  blow  us  all  into 
the  air." 

And  the  cardinal  began  to  read  anew  the  letter  of  Ma- 
dame de  Pompadour  which  a  French  courier  had  brought 
him  a  few  hours  before. 

"  Ahem,  that  will  be  dangerous  for  the  good  father ! " 
said  he,  shaking  his  head.  "Austria  also  agrees  to  this 
magnificent  plan  of  the  Portuguese  Minister  Pombal,  and  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  this  Austrian  archduke  has  come 
to  Rome  only  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  to  the  pope  the 
consent  of  the  Empress  Maria  Theresa!  Ha,  ha!  how 
singular !  their  chaste  and  virtuous  Maria  Theresa  and 
our  good  Pompadour  are  both  agreed  in  this  matter,  and 
in  taking  this  course  are  both  acting  against  their  own 
will.  The  women  love  the  Jesuits,  these  good  fathers 
who  furnish  them  with  an  excuse  for  every  weakness,  and 
hold  a  little  back  door  open  for  every  sin.    That  is  very 


248      TEE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

convenient  for  these  good  women  !  Yes,  yes,  the  women — 
I  think  I  know  them." 

And,  smiling,  the  cardinal  sank  deeper  into  himself, 
dreaming  of  past,  of  charming  times,  when  he  had  not  yet 
counted  sixty-five  years.  He  dreamed  of  Venice,  and  of  a 
beautiful  nun  he  had  loved  there,  and  who  for  him  had 
often  left  her  cloister  in  the  night-time,  and,  warm  and 
glowing  with  passion,  had  come  to  him.  He  dreamed  of 
those  heavenly  hours,  where  all  pleasure  and  all  happiness 
had  been  compressed  into  one  blessed  intoxication  of  bliss, 
where  the  chaste  priestess  of  the  Church  had  for  him 
changed  into  a  sparkling  priestess  of  joy ! 

"  Yes,  that  was  long  ago  ! "  murmured  the  cardinal,  as  at 
length  he  awoke  from  his  blissful  dreams  of  the  past. 

"  Those  were  beautiful  times — I  was  then  young  and 
happy ;  I  was  then  a  man,  and  now — now  am  old  ;  love  has 
withered,  and  with  it  poesy !  I  am  now  nothing  but  a  di- 
plomatist." 

There  was  a  low  knock  at  the  door.  The  cardinal  has- 
tily but  carefully  returned  the  portrait  of  his  beautiful  nun 
to  the  secret  drawer  in  his  writing-table  whence  it  had  been 
taken,  and  bade  the  knocker  to  enter. 

It  was  Brunelli,  the  major-domo  of  the  cardinal,  who 
came  with  a  proud  step,  and  face  beaming  with  joy,  to  make 
a  report  of  his  plans  and  preparations  for  the  morrow's  en- 
tertainment. 

"  In  the  evening  the  park  will  be  illuminated  with  many 
thousand  lamps,  which  will  outshine  the  sun,  so  that  the 
guests  will  there  wander  in  a  sea  of  light,"  said  he,  in  clos- 
ing his  report. 


THE  FISH  FEUD.  249 

The  cardinal  smiled,  and  with  a  stolen  glance  at  the 
small  box  that  contained  the  portrait  of  his  beautiful  nun, 
he  said  :  "  Spare  some  of  the  walks  in  the  alleys  from  your 
sea  of  light,  and  leave  them  in  a  partial  obscurity.  A  little 
duskiness  is  sometimes  necessary  for  joy  and  happiness ! 
But  how  is  it  with  your  carte  du  dmer?  What  has  Signer 
Gianettino  to  offer  us?  I  hope  he  has  something  very 
choice,  for  you  know  the  cardinals  like  a  good  table,  and 
my  friend  Duke  Grimaldi  has  a  high  opinion  of  our  cui- 
sine." 

"  Ah,  the  Spanish  ambassador,  your  excellency  ? "  ex- 
claimed Brunelli,  contemptuously.  "  The  Spanish  ambas- 
sador knows  nothing  of  the  art  of  cookery,  or  he  would  not 
possibly  be  satisfied  with  his  cook  !  He  is  a  niggard,  a  poor 
fellow,  of  whom  all  Rome  is  speaking  to-day,  and  laughing 
at  him  and  his  master,  while  they  are  praising  you  to  the 
skies ! " 

And  Signor  Brunelli  related  to  his  listening  master  the 
whole  story  of  the  gigantic  fish,  and  of  the  humiliation  of 
the  Spanish  cook. 

The  cardinal  listened  with  attention,  and  a  dark  cloud 
gradually  gathered  upon  his  thoughtful  brow. 

"  That  is  a  very  unfortunate  occurrence,"  said  he,  shak- 
ing his  head,  as  Brunelli  ended. 

"  But  at  least  it  was  an  occurrence  in  which  France  tri- 
umphed, your  excellency,"  responded  Brunelli. 

"  I  much  fear  the  Duke  of  Grimaldi  will  do  as  you  have 

done,"  said  the  cardinal ;  "  he  will  confound  my  cook  with 

France,  and  in  his  cook  see  all  Spain  insulted." 

"  Then  your  excellencv  is  not  satisfied  ?  "  asked  Brunelli, 
17 


250  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

with  consternation.  "  The  whole  palace  is  full  of  jubila- 
tion ;  all  the  servants  and  lackeys  and  even  the  secretary  of 
the  legation  are  delighted  with  this  divine  affair ! " 

The  cardinal  paid  no  attention  to  these  panegyrics  of 
his  major-domo,  but  thoughtfully  paced  the  room  with  long 
strides, 

"  And  you  think  Gianettino  had  the  right  of  it  ? "  at 
length  he  asked. 

"  He  was  entirely  in  the  right,  your  excellency.  Nothing 
had  been  paid  for  the  fish,  and  Gianettino's  right  to  pur- 
chase  was  perfect,  and  nobody  could  dispute  it !  " 

"  Well,  when  we  are  in  the  right,  we  must  maintain  our 
right,"  said  the  cardinal,  after  a  pause,  "  and  as  the  affair 
is  known  to  all  Kome,  it  must  be  fought  through  with  eclat ! 
The  fish,  in  all  its  pride  of  greatness  shall  grace  our  table 
to-morrow ! " 

"  We  have  no  dish  of  sufficient  size  in  which  to  serve 
it." 

"  Then  let  a  new  one  be  made,"  laughed  the  cardinal. 
"  Take  the  measure  of  this  Goliath,  and  hasten  to  the  silver- 
smith, that  he  may  make  a  silver  dish  of  the  proper  size. 
But  see  that  it  is  completed  by  to-morrow  morning,  and 
that  it  is  richly  ornamented.  If  Eome  has  heard  of  the 
fish,  so  also  must  it  hear  of  the  dish.  Hasten,  therefore, 
Signer  Brunelli,  and  see  that  all  is  done  as  I  have  or- 
dered ! " 

"  This  is,  in  fact,  a  very  diverting  story,"  said  the  car- 
dinal, laughing,  when  he  was  again  alone.  "  We  have  here 
a  monster  fish  which  will  probably  swallow  ray  friendship 
with  the  Duke  of  Grimaldi !    Well,  we  shall  see ! " 


THE  FISH  FEUD.  251 

The  cardinal  then  rang  for  his  body-servant,  whom  he 
ordered  to  dress  him. 

"  Court  toilet  ?  "  asked  the  servant,  astonished  at  being 
called  to  this  service  at  so  unusual  an  hour. 

"  No,  house  toilet ! "  said  the  cardinal.  "  I  shall  soon 
receive  visitors." 

The  shrewd  cardinal  had  not  deceived  himself !  In  a 
few  minutes  an  equipage  rolled  into  the  court  and  the  foot- 
man announced  his  highness  the  Spanish  ambassador,  the 
Duke  of  Grimaldi, 

"  He  is  a  thousand  times  welcome  !  "  cried  the  cardinal, 
and  as  the  door  now  opened  and  the  Spanish  duke  entered, 
the  cardinal  advanced  to  receive  him  with  open  arms  and  a 
friendly  smile. 

"  My  dear,  much-beloved  friend,  what  a  delightful  sur- 
prise is  this !  "  said  the  cardinal. 

But  the  duke  observed  neither  the  open  arras  nor  the 
pleasant  smile,  nor  yet  the  friendly  welcome  of  the  cardi- 
nal. He  strode  forward  with  a  serious,  majestic  grandezza^ 
and  placing  himself  directly  before  the  cardinal,  he  solemn- 
ly asked ;  "  Know  you  of  the  outrage  which  a  servant  of 
your  house  has  inflicted  on  mine?" 

"  Of  an  outrage  ?  "  asked  the  cardinal,  without  embar- 
rassment. "  I  have  been  told  that  your  cook  had  a  dispute 
with  mine,  because  mine  had  bought  a  fish  that  was  too 
dear  for  yours.     That  is  all  I  know." 

"  Then  they  have  not  told  you,"  thundered  the  duke, 
"  that  your  servant,  like  an  impudent  street  robber,  has 
wrongfully  seized  my  property.  For  that  fish  was  mine, 
it    belonged   to  the    Spanish   embassy,  and    therefore  to 


252      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Spain ;  and  your  servant  has  with  outrageous  insolence 
committed  a  trespass  upon  the  property  of  a  foreign 
power ! " 

"  Did  this  fish,  then,  actually  belong  to  the  Spanish 
crown  ?  "  asked  Bernis.  "  "Was  it  already  paid  for,  and 
legally  yours  ?  " 

"  It  was  not  paid  for,  but  was  ordered,  and  my  servant 
had  gone  home  for  the  money." 

"  As  long  as  it  was  not  paid  for,  no  one  could  have  any 
claim  upon  it." 

"  You  are,  then,  disposed  to  dispute  the  fish  with  me  ?  " 
cried  the  duke. 

"  Should  I  dispute  it,"  smilingly  responded  the  cardinal, 
"  that  would  be  equivalent  to  a  recognition  of  your  right 
to  it,  which  I  have  no  idea  of  making.  Besides,  my  friend, 
what  does  this  quarrel  of  our  cooks  concern  us,  and  what 
has  Spain  and  France  to  do  with  these  disputes  of  our  serv- 
ants? They  may  fight  out  their  own  quarrels  with  each 
other ;  let  us  give  them  leave  to  do  so,  and  if  they  give 
each  other  bloody  heads,  very  well,  we  will  bind  them  up, 

that  is  all ! " 

"  You  take  the  affair  with  your  usual  practical  indiffer- 
ence," said  the  duke  with  bitterness,  "  and  I  can  only  regret 
being  compelled  to  look  at  it  in  a  different  light.  The  ques- 
tion here  is  not  of  a  difficulty  between  our  servants,  but  of 
an  insult  which  Spain  has  received  from  France  in  the  face 
of  all  Rome.  Yes,  all  Rome  has  witnessed  this  insult,  and 
these  miserable  Romans  have  even  dared  to  dishonor  us  with 
irony  and  satire,  and  to  mock  and  deride  Spain,  while  they 
overload  you  with  their  praises ! " 


THE  FISH  FEUD.  253 

"  The  good  Romans,  as  you  know,  are  like  children. 
This  contest  of  our  cooks  has  delighted  them,  and  they 
shouted  a  viva  to  the  conqueror.  But  I  beg  you  not  to  for- 
get that  I  have  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  the  victories  of  my 
cook." 

"  But  I  have  something  to  do  with  the  defeats  of  mine  ! 
Whoever  insults  my  servant  insults  me ;  and  whoever  in- 
sults me,  insults  the  kingdom  I  represent — insults  Spain  ! 
It  is  therefore  in  the  name  of  Spain  that  I  come  to  demand 
satisfaction.  Spain  has  a  right  to  this  fish  !  I  demand  my 
right,  I  demand  the  surrender  of  the  fish ! " 

"  If  you  take  this  matter  in  earnest,"  said  the  cardinal, 
"  then  am  I  sorry  to  be  compelled  also  to  be  serious  !  If 
Spain  can  find  offence  in  the  fact  that  France  has  bought  a 
fish  which  was  too  dear  for  the  Spanish  cook,  I  cannot  see 
how  I  can  here  make  satisfaction,  as  we  cannot  be  taxed 
with  any  fault." 

"You ♦refuse  me  the  fish,  then ?"  exclaimed  the  duke, 
bursting  with  rage. 

"  As  you  say  that  all  Rome  knows  of  this  affair,  and 
takes  an  interest  in  it,  I  cannot  act  otherwise.  It  must  not 
have  the  appearance  that  France  feels  herself  less  great  and 
powerful  than  Spain ;  that  France  pusillanimously  yields 
when  Spain  makes  an  unjust  demand  ! " 

"  That  is  to  say,  you  wish  to  break  off  all  friendly  rela- 
tions with  us  ?  " 

"  And  can  those  relations  be  seriously  endangered  by 
this  affair?"  asked  the  cardinal,  with  vivacity.  "Is  it  pos- 
sible that  this  trifling  misunderstanding  between  two  serv- 
ants can  exercise  an  influence  upon  a  long-cherished  friend- 


254  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ship  and  harmony  of  two  powers  whose  relations,  whether 
friendly  or  otherwise,  may  uphold  or  destroy  the  peace  of 
Europe?" 

"  Honor  is  the  first  law  of  the  Spaniard,"  proudly  re- 
sponded the  duke,  "and  whoever  wounds  that  can  no 
longer  be  my  friend !  France  has  attacked  the  honor  of 
Spain,  and  all  Eome  has  chimed  in  with  the  insulting  ac- 
clamations of  France — all  Rome  knows  the  story  of  this 
fish ! " 

"  Then  let  us  show  to  these  silly.  Romans  that  we  both 
look  upon  the  whole  affair  merely  as  a  jest.  When  you 
to-morrow  laughingly  eat  of  this  fish,  the  good  Romans 
will  feel  ashamed  of  themselves  and  their  childish  con- 
duct." 

"  You  propose  then,  to-morrow,  when  the  nobility  of 
Rome,  when  all  the  diplomatists  are  assembled,  to  parade 
before  them  this  fish,  which  to-day  sets  all  tongues  in  mo- 
tion?" asked  the  duke,  turning  pale. 

"  The  fish  was  bought  for  this  dinner,  and  must  be 
eaten  !  "  said  the  cardinal,  laughing. 

"  Then  I  regret  that  I  cannot  be  present  at  this  festi- 
val ! "  cried  the  duke,  rising.  "  You  cannot  desire  that  I 
should  be  a  witness  to  my  own  shame  and  your  triumph. 
You  are  no  Roman  emperor,  and  I  am  no  conquered  hero 
compelled  to  appear  in  your  triumphal  train  !  I  recall  my 
consent,  and  shall  not  appear  at  your  to-morrow's  festi- 
val ! " 

"  Reflect  and  consider  this  well ! "  said  the  cardinal,  al- 
most sadly.  "  If  you  fail  to  appear  to-morrow,  when  the 
whole  diplomacy  are  assembled  at  my  house  for  an  official 


THE  FISH  FEUD.  255 

dinner,  that  will  signify  not  only  that  the  duke  breaks  with 
his  old  friend  the  cardinal,  but  also  that  Spain  wishes  to  dis- 
solve her  friendly  relations  with  France," 

"  Let  it  be  so  considered  !  "  said  the  duke.  "  Better  an 
open  war  than  a  clandestine  defeat !  Adieu,  Sir  Cardi- 
nal ! "  . 

And  the  duke  made  for  the  door.  But  the  cardinal  held 
him  back. 

"Have  you  reflected  upon  the  consequences?"  he  asked. 
"  You  know  what  important  negotiations  at  this  moment 
occupy  the  Catholic  courts.  Of  the  abolition  of  the  great- 
est and  most  powerful  of  orders,  of  the  extirpation  of  the 
Jesuits,  is  the  question.  The  pope  is  favorable  to  this  idea 
of  the  Portuguese  minister,  Pombal,  but  he  desires  the  co- 
operation of  the  other  Catholic  courts.  Austria  gives  her 
consent,  as  do  Sardinia  and  all  the  other  Italian  states ; 
only  the  court  of  Spain  has  declared  itself  the  friend  and 
defender  of  the  Jesuits,  and  for  your  sake  has  France  hith- 
erto remained  passive  on  this  most  important  question,  and 
has  affected  not  to  hear  the  demands  of  her  subjects ;  for 
your  sake  has  France  stifled  her  own  convictions  and  joined 
in  your  support.  Therefore,  think  well  of  what  you  are  about 
to  do  !  To  break  off  your  friendly  relations  with  France, 
is  to  compel  France  to  take  sides  against  Spain ;  and  if  the 
powerful  voice  of  France  is  heard  against  the  Jesuits,  the 
single  voice  of  Spain  will  be  powerless  to  uphold  them." 

«  Well,  then,  let  them  go  !  "  cried  the  duke.  "  What 
care  I  for  the  Jesuits  when  the  defence  of  our  honor  is  con- 
cerned ?  Sir  Cardinal,  farewell ;  however  France  may  de- 
cide, Spain  will  never  submit  to  her  arrogance !  " 


256      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

The  duke  abruptly  left  the  room,  slamming  the  door 
after  him. 

Cardinal  Bernis  saw  his  departure  with  an  expression  of 
sadness. 

"  And  such  are  the  friendships  of  man,"  he  murmured 
to  himself ;  "  the  slightest  offence  is  sufficient  to  destroy  a 
friendship  of  many  years.  Well,  we  must  reconcile  our- 
selves to  it,"  he  continued  after  a  pause,  "  and,  at  all  events, 
it  has  its  very  diverting  side.  For  many  months  I  have 
taken  pains  to  support  Grimaldi  with  the  pope  in  his  de- 
fence of  the  Jesuits,  and  now  that  celebrated  order  will  be 
abolished  because  a  French  cook  has  bought  a  fish  that  was 
too  dear  for  the  Spanish  cook !  By  what  small  influences 
are  the  destinies  of  mankind  decided  ! 

"  But  now  I  have  not  a  moment  to  lose,"  continued  the 
cardinal,  rousing  himself  from  his  troubled  thoughts. 
"  Grimaldi  has  rendered  it  impossible  for  me  longer  to 
oppose  the  views  of  the  Marquise  de  Pompadour ;  I  must 
now  give  effect  to  the  commands  of  my  feminine  sovereign, 
and  announce  to  the  pope  the  assent  of  France  to  his 
policy.  To  the  pope,  then,  the  letter  of  the  marquise  may 
make' known  the  will  of  Louis ! " 

The  cardinal  hastily  donned  his  official  costume,  and 
ordered  his  carriage  for  a  visit  to  the  Vatican. 


POPE  GANGANELLl  (CLEMENT  XIV).  257 

CHAPTEE  XXVII. 

POPE   GANGANELLI    (CLEMENT  XIV). 

Two  men  were  walking  up  and  down  in  the  garden  of 
the  Quirinal,  engaged  in  a  lively  discourse.  One  of  them 
was  an  old  man  of  more  than  sixty  years.  Long  white 
locks  waved  about  his  forehead,  falling  like  a  halo  on  both 
sides  of  his  cheeks.  An  infinite  mildness  and  clearness 
looked  out  from  his  dreamy  eyes,  and  a  smile  of  infinite 
kindness  played  about  his  mouth,  but  so  full  of  sorrow  and 
resignation  that  it  filled  one's  heart  with  sadness  and  his 
eyes  with  tears.  His  tall,  herculean  form  was  bent  and 
shrunken ;  age  had  broken  it,  but  could  not  take  away  that 
noble  and  dignified  expression  which  distinguished  that  old 
man  and  involuntarily  impelled  every  one  to  reverence  and 
a  sort  of  adoration.  To  his  friends  and  admirers  this  old 
man  seemed  a  super-terrestrial  being,  and  often  in  their 
enthusiasm  they  called  him  their  Saviour,  the  again-visible 
Son  of  God  !  The  old  man  would  smile  at  this,  and  say : 
"  You  are  right  in  one  respect,  I  am  indeed  a  son  of  God, 
as  you  all  are,  but  when  you  compare  me  with  our  Saviour, 
it  can  only  be  to  the  crucified.  I  am,  indeed,  a  crucified 
person  like  Him,  and  have  suffered  many  torments.  But  I 
have  also  overcome  many." 

And,  when  so  speaking,  there  lay  in  his  face  an  almost 
celestial  clearness  and  joyfulness,  which  would  impel  one 
involuntarily  to  bow  down  before  him,  had  he  not  been,  as 
he  was,  the  vicegerent  of  God  upon  earth,  the  Pope  Gan- 
ganelli. 


258      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

The  man  who  was  now  walking  with  him  formed  a 
singular  contrast  with  the  mild,  reverence-commanding 
appearance  of  the  pope-  He  was  a  man  of  forty,  with  a 
wild,  glowing-red  face,  whose  eyes  flashed  with  malice  and 
rage,  whose  mouth  gave  evidence  of  sensuality  and  barbar- 
ity, and  whose  form  was  more  appropriate  for  a  Vulcan 
than  a  prince  of  the  Church.  And  yet  he  was  such,  as  was 
manifested  by  his  dress,  by  the  great  cardinal's  hat  over 
his  shoulder,  and  by  the  flashing  cross  of  brilliants  upon 
his  breast.  This  cardinal  was  very  well  known,  and  when- 
ever his  name  was  mentioned  it  was  with  secret  curses,  with 
a  sign  of  the  cross,  and  a  prayer  to  God  for  aid  in  avoiding 
him,  the  terror  of  Eome.  the  Cardinal  Albani. 

Sighing  and  reluctantly  had  the  pope  finally  resolved  to 
have  the  cardinal  near  his  person,  that  he  might  attempt 
by  mild  and  gentle  persuasion  to  soften  his  stubborn  dis- 
position ;  but  the  cardinal  had  replied  to  all  his  gentle 
words  only  with  a  contemptuous  shrug  of  the  shoulders, 
with  low  murmured  words,  with  a  darkly  clouded  brow. 

"It  is  in  no  one's  power  to  change  and  make  a  new 
being  of  himself,"  he  finally  said,  in  a  harsh  tone,  as  the 
pope  continued  his  exhortations  and  representations.  "  You, 
my  blessed  father,  cannot  convert  yourself  into  a  monster 
such  as  you  describe  me ;  and  I,  Cardinal  Albani,  cannot 
attain  to  the  sublime  godliness  which  we  all  admire  in  your 
holiness.  Every  one  must  walk  in  his  own  path,  taking 
especial  care  not  to  disturb  others  in  theirs." 

"  But  that  is  exactly  what  you  do,"  gently  replied  Gan- 
ganelli.  "  All  the  streets  of  Rome  bear  witness  to  it.  Did 
you  not  yesterday,  in  one  of  these  streets,  with  force  and 


POPE  GANGANELLI  (CLEMENT  XIV).  259 

arms  rescue  a  bandit  from  the  hands  of  justice,  and  with 
your  murderous  dagger  take  the  life  of  the  servant  of  the 
law?" 

"  They  wanted  to  lead  one  of  my  servants  to  death,  who 
had  done  nothing  more  than  obey  my  commands,"  vehe- 
mently responded  the  cardinal.  "  I  liberated  him  from 
their  hands  as  was  natural;  and  if  some  of  the  sbirri  were 
killed  in  the  encounter,  that  was  their  fault.  Why  did  they 
not  voluntarily  give  up  their  prisoner  and  then  run  away  ?  " 

"  And  was  it  really  your  command  that  this  bandit  ful- 
filled ?  "  asked  the  pope,  shuddering.  "  You  know  he  killed 
a  young  nobleman,  the  pride  and  hope  of  his  family,  and 
was  caught  in  the  act,  which  he  did  not  attempt  to  deny  ?  " 

"  That  young  nobleman  had  mocked  and  made  a  laugh- 
ing-stock of  me  in  a  public  company,"  calmly  replied  the 
cardinal ;  "  hence  it  was  natural  that  he  must  die.  Eevenge 
is  the  first  duty  of  man,  and  whoever  neglects  to  take  it  is 
dishonored ! " 

"  And  such  men  dare  to  call  themselves  Christians  ! " 
exclaimed  Ganganelli,  with  uplifted  arms — "  and  such  men 
call  themselves  priests  of  the  religion  of  love ! " 

"  I  am  a  priest  of  love  !  "  said  Albani. 

"  But  of  what  love  ?  "  responded  the  pope,  with  an  ap- 
pearance of  agitation — "  the  priest  of  a  wild,  beastly  pas- 
sion, of  a  rough  animal  inclination.  You  know  nothing  of 
the  soft  and  silent  love  that  ennobles  the  heart  and 
strengthens  it  for  holy  resolutions  ;  which  inculcates  virtue 
and  decency,  and  lifts  up  the  eyes  to  heaven — of  that  love 
which  is  full  of  consolation  and  blessed  hope,  and  desires 
nothing  for  itself." 


260  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  God  save  me  from  such  a  love  ! "  said  the  cardinal, 
crossing  himself.  "  When  I  love,  I  desire  much,  and  of 
virtue  and  perfection  there  is,  thank  God,  no  question." 

"  Repent,  amend,  Francesco,"  said  the  pope.  "  I  prom- 
ised your  uncle,  the  very  worthy  Cardinal  Alessandro 
Albani,  once  more  to  attempt  the  course  of  mildness,  and 
exhort  you  to  return  to  the  path  of  virtue.  Ah,  could  you 
have  seen  the  poor  old  man,  with  -tears  streaming  from  his 
blind  eyes — tears  of  sorrow  for  you,  whom  he  called  his  lost 
son ! " 

"  My  uncle  did  very  wrong  so  to  weep,"  said  the  cardi- 
nal. "Blind  as  he  was  he  yet  kept  a  mistress.*  How, 
then,  can  he  wonder  that  I,  who  can  see,  kept  several? 
Two  eyes  see  more  than  none ;  that  is  natural ! " 

"  But  do  you,  then,  so  wholly  forget  your  solemn  oath 
of  chastity  and  virtue?"  excitedly  exclaimed  the  pope. 
"  Look  upon  the  cross  that  covers  your  breast,  and  fall  upon 
your  knees  to  implore  the  pardon  of  God." 

"  This  cross  was  laid  upon  my  breast  when  I  was  yet  a 
boy,"  gloomily  responded  the  cardinal ;  "  the  fetters  were 
attached  to  me  before  I  had  the  strength  to  rend  them ;  my 
will  was  not  asked  when  this  stone  was  laid  upon  my  breast ! 
Now  I  ask  not  about  your  will  when  I  seek,  under  this 
weight,  to  breathe  freely  as  a  man  !  And,  thank  God,  this 
weight  has  not  crushed  my  heart — my  heart,  that  yet  glows 
with  youthful  freshness,  and  in  which  love  has  found  a 
lurking-hole  which  your  cross  cannot  fill  up.  And  in  this 
lurking-hole  now  dwells  a  charming,  a  wonderful  woman, 

*  Joseph  Gorani's  "  Secret  Memoirs  of  the  Italian  Courts,"  vol.  ii., 
p  131. 


I 


POPE  GANGANELL.I  (CLEMENT  XIV).  261 

whom  Rome  calls  the  queen  of  song,  and  whom  I  call  the 
queen  of  beauty  and  love !  All  the  world  adjudges  her  the 
crown  of  poesy,  and  only  you  refuse  it  to  her." 

"  Again  this  old  complaint ! "  said  the  pope,  with  a 
slight  contraction  of  his  brow.   "  You  again  speak  of  her — " 

"Of  Gorilla,"  interposed  the. cardinal — "yes, of  Gorilla  I 
speak,  of  that  heavenly  woman  whom  all  the  world  admires ; 
to  whose  beautiful  verses  philosophers  and  poets  listen 
with  breathless  delight,  and  who  well  deserves  that  you 
should  reward  her  as  a  queen  by  bestowing  upon  her  the 
poetic  crown  ! " 

"  I  crown  a  Gorilla  ! "  mockingly  exclaimed  the  pope. 
"  Shall  a  Gorilla  desecrate  the  spot  hallowed  by  the  feet  of 
Tasso  and  Petrarch  ?  No,  I  say,  no  ;  when  art  becomes  the 
plaything  of  a  courtesan,  then  may  the  sacred  Muses  veil 
their  heads  and  mourn  in  silence,  but  they  must  not  de- 
grade themselves  by  throwing  away  the  crown  which  the 
best  and  noblest  would  give  their  heart's  blood  to  obtain. 
This  Gorilla  may  bribe  you  poor  earthly  fools  with  her 
smiles  and  amorous  verses,  but  she  will  not  be  able  to  de- 
ceive the  Muses ! " 

"  You  refuse  me,  then,  the  crowning  of  the  renowned 
improvisatrice  Gorilla?  "  asked  the  cardinal,  with  painfully 
suppressed  rage. 

"  I  refuse  it ! " 

"  And  why,  then,  did  you  send  for  me  ?  "  exclaimed  the 
cardinal  with  vehemence.     "  Was  it  merely  to  mock  me  ?  " 

"  It  was  for  the  purpose  of  warning  you,  my  son ! " 
mildly  responded  the  pope.  "  For  even  the  greatest  for- 
bearance must  at  length  come  to  an  end ;  and  when  I  am 


262  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

compelled  to  forget  that  you  are  Alessandro  Albani's  neph- 
ew, I  shall  then  only  have  to  remember  that  you  are  the 
criminal  Francesco  Albani,  whom  all  the  world  condemns, 
and  whom  I  must  judge  !  Eepent  and  reform,  my  son,  while 
there  is  yet  time  ;  and,  above  all  things,  renounce  this  love, 
which  heaps  new  disgrace  upon  your  family  and  overwhelms 
your  relatives  with  sorrow  and  anxiety  ! " 

"  Kenounce  Gorilla !  "  cried  tHe  cardinal.  "  I  tell  you  I 
love  her,  I  adore  her,  this  heavenly,  beautiful  woman ! 
How  can  you  ask  me  to  renounce  her  ?  " 

"Nevertheless  I  do  demand  it,"  said  the  pope  with 
solemnity,  "demand  it  in  the  name  of  your  father,  in  the 
name  of  God,  against  whose  holy  laws  you  have  sinned — 
you.  His  consecrated  priest." 

"  But  that  is  an  impossibility  !  "  passionately  exclaimed 
Francesco.  "  One  must  bear  a  heart  of  stone  in  his  bosom 
to  require  it ;  and  that  you  can  do  so  only  proves  that  you 
have  never  known  what  it  is  to  love  !  " 

"  And  that  I  can  do  so  should  prove  to  you  that  I  have 
indeed  known  it,  my  son ! "  sadly  responded  the  pope. 

"  Whoever  has  known  love  knows  that  there  can  be  no 
renunciation ! " 

"And  whoever  has  known  love  can  renounce!"  ex- 
claimed the  pope,  with  animation.  "  Listen  to  me,  my  son, 
and  may  the  sad  story  of  a  short  happiness  and  long  expia- 
tion serve  you  as  a  warning  example !  You  think  I  cannot 
have  known  love  ?  Ah,  I  tell  you  I  have  experienced  all  its 
joys  and  all  its  sorrows — that  in  the  intoxication  of  rapture 
I  once  forgot  my  vows,  my  duties,  my  holy  resolutions,  and, 
doubly  criminal,  I  also  taught  her  whom  I  loved  to  forget 


POPE  GANGANELLI  (CLEMENT  XIV).  263 

her  own  sacred  duties  and  consent  to  sin  !  Ali,  you  call  me 
a  saint,  and  yet  I  have  been  the  most  abject  of  sinners ! 
Under  this  Franciscan  vesture  beat  a  tempestuous,  fiery 
heart  that  derided  God  and  His  laws ;  a  heart  that  would 
have  given  my  soul  to  the  evil  one,  had  he  promised  to  give 
me  in  exchange  the  possession  of  my  beloved !  She  was 
beautiful,  and  of  a  heavenly  disposition ;  and  hence,  when 
she  passed  through  the  aisles  of  the  church,  with  her  slight 
fairy  form,  her  angelic  face  veiled  by  her  long  dark  locks, 
her  eyes  beaming  with  love  and  pleasure,  a  heavenly  smile 
playing  about  her  lips — ah,  when  she  thus  passed  through 
the  church,  her  feet  scarcely  touching  the  floor,  then  I,  who 
awaited  her  in  the  confessional,  felt  myself  nearly  frantic 
with  ecstasy,  my  brain  turned,  my  eyes  darkened,  there  was 
a  buzzing  in  my  ears,  and  I  attempted  to  implore  the  aid 
and  support  of  God." 

"  You  should  have  appealed  to  Cupid ! "  said  the  cardi- 
nal, laughing.  "  In  such  a  case  aid  could  come  only  from 
the  god  of  ancient  Eome,  not  of  the  modern  ! " 

The  old  man  noticed  not  his  words.  Wholly  absorbed 
in  his  reminiscences,  he  listened  only  to  the  voice  of  his  own 
breast,  saw  only  the  form  of  the  beautiful  woman  he  had 
once  so  dearly  loved  ! 

"  God  listened  not  to  my  fervent  prayers,"  he  continued, 
with  a  sigh,  "  or  perhaps  my  stormily  beating  heart  heard 
not  the  voice  of  God,  because  I  listened  only  to  her ;  be- 
cause with  intoxicated  senses  I  was  listening  to  the  modest, 
childishly  pure  confession  which  she,  kneeling  in  the  con- 
fessional, was  whispering  in  my  ears;  because  I  felt  her 
breath  upon  my  cheeks  and  in  every  trembling  nerve  of  my 


264  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

being.  And  one  day,  overcome  by  his  glowing  passion, 
the  monk  so  far  forgot  his  sworn  duty  as  to  confess 
his  immodest  and  insane  love  for  the  wife  of  another 
man ! " 

"  Ah,  she  was,  then,  married  ?  "  remarked  the  cardinal. 

"  Yes,  she  was  married  ;  sold  by  her  own  parents,  sacri- 
ficed at  the  shrine  of  mammon,  married  to  a  man  whom  she 
did  not  and  could  not  love,  and  who  pursued  her  with  an 
insane  jealousy.  Ah,  she  suffered  and  suffered  with  the  un- 
complaining calmness  of  an  angel.  And  I,  did  I  not  also 
suffer?  We  wept  together,  we  complained  together,  until 
our  hearts  at  length  forgot  complaining,  and  an  unspeak- 
able, a  terrible  happiness,  made  us  forget  our  troubles.  I 
had  forgotten  all — my  God,  my  clerical  vows ;  she  also  had 
forgotten  all — her  husband,  her  vow  of  fidelity;  and  if  a 
thought  of  these  things  sometimes  intruded  upon  our  mo- 
ments of  happiness,  it  only  caused  us  to  plunge  into  new 
delights,  and  to  lull  ourselves  anew  into  a  blessed  forgetful- 
ness ! " 

"  And  the  good,  jealous  husband  remarked  nothing  ?  " 
asked  the  cardinal. 

"  He  remarked  nothing !  He  loved  me,  he  confided 
in  me,  he  called  me  his  friend ;  and  when  he  was  com- 
pelled to  take  a  long  journey,  he  confided  to  me  his 
house  and  his  wife,  establishing  me  as  the  guard  of  her 
virtue ! " 

The  cardinal  broke  out  into  loud  laughter.  "These 
good  husbands,"  said  he,  "  they  are  all  alike  to  a  hair. 
Every  one  has  a  friend  in  whom  he  confides,  and  it  is  that 
very  friend  who  betrays  him.     They  must  all  fulfil  their 


POPE  GANGANELLI  (CLEMENT  XIV).  265 

destinies,  these  good  husbands !  Relate  further,  holy  fa- 
ther !  Your  story  is  very  entertaining.  I  am  curious  to 
hear  the  end  !  " 

"  The  end  was  terrible,  replete  with  horror  and  shame," 
said  the  pope.  "  We  lived  blessed  days,  heavenly  nights. 
Oh,  we  were  so  happy  that  we  hardly  had  a  thought  for  our 
criminality,  but  only  for  our  love.  One  night  there  was  a 
knocking  at  the  closed  door  of  the  house,  and  we  shudder- 
ingly  recognized  the  voice  of  the  husband  demanding  ad- 
mission." 

"  And  you  were  not  at  all  in  a  situation  to  grant  it  to 
him,"  laughingly  interposed  the  cardinal.  "  He  might, 
perhaps,  have  been  not  a  little  astonished,  this  good  hus- 
band, that  you  watched  by  night  as  well  as  by  day  the  tem- 
ple of  his  wedded  happiness." 

"  With  tears  of  anguish  and  terror  she  conjured  me  to 
fly,  to  save  her  from  the  derision  of  the  world  and  the  anger 
of  her  husband.  She  led  me  to  a  secret  stairway,  and  I, 
like  a  madman  pursued  by  the  furies,  was  hastening  to  de- 
scend, when  my  foot  slipped  and  I  fell  down  the  stairs  with 
a  loud  clattering  noise.  I  felt  the  blood  oozing  from  my 
breast  and  pouring  from  my  mouth  in  a  warm  stream — my 
limbs  pained  me  frightfully — but  I  picked  myself  up  and 
with  extremest  suffering  fled  to  my  cloister,  when,  having 
reached  my  cell,  I  fell  senseless.  A  long  illness  now  con- 
fined me  to  my  bed  and  tortured  my  body  with  frightful 
pains ;  but  far  more  frightful  were  the  tortures  of  my  soul, 
more  frightful  the  voices  that  day  and  night  whispered  to 
me  of  my  crime  and  guiltiness !     My  conscience  was  fully 

awakened  ;  it  spoke  to  me  in  a  voice  of  thunder,  and  like  a 
18 


266      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

worm  I  turned  upon  my  bed  of  pain,  imploring  of  God  a 
little  mercy  for  the  torments  that  burned  my  brain !  This 
time  God  permitted  Himself  to  be  found  by  me ;  I  heard 
his  voice,  saying :  '  Go  and  repent,  and  thy  sins  shall  be  for- 
given thee  !  Shake  off  the  sinfulness  that  weighs  upon  thy 
head,  and  peace  will  return  to  thy  bosom.'  I  heard  this 
voice  of  God,  and  wept  with  repentant  sorrow.  I  vowed  to 
obey  and  reconcile  myself  to  God  by  renouncing  my  love 
and  never  again  seeing  its  object !  It  was  a  great  sacrifice, 
but  God  demanded  it,  and  I  obeyed ! " 

"  That  is,  this  sickness  had  restored  you  from  intoxica- 
tion to  sobriety ;  you  were  tired  of  your  mistress  !  " 

"  I  had,  perhaps,  never  loved  her  more  warmly,  more 
intensely,  than  in  those  dreadful  hours  when  I  was  strug- 
gling with  my  poor  tortured  heart  and  imploring  God  for 
strength  to  renounce  her  and  separate  myself  from  her  for- 
ever. But  God  was  merciful  and  aided  my  weakness  with 
His  own  strength.  Letters  came  from  her,  and  I  had  the 
cruel  courage  to  read  them  ;  I  had  condemned  myself  to  do 
it  as  an  expiation,  and  while  I  read  her  soft  complainings, 
her  love-sorrows,  I  felt  in  my  heart  the  same  sorrows,  the 
same  disconsolate  wretchedness ;  tears  streamed  from  my 
eyes,  and  I  flayed  my  breast  with  my  nails  in  utter  despair ! 
Ah,  at  such  moments  how  often  did  I  forget  God  and  my  re- 
pentance ;  how  often  did  I  press  those  letters  to  my  lips 
and  call  my  beloved  by  the  tenderest  names ;  my  whole 
soul,  my  whole  being  flew  to  her,  and,  forgetting  all,  all,  I 
wanted  to  rush  to  her  presence,  fall  down  at  her  feet,  and 
be  blessed  only  through  her,  even  if  my  eternal  salvation 
were  thereby  lost !    But  what  was  it,  what  then  restrained 


POPE  GANGANELLI  (CLEMENT  XIV).  267 

my  feet,  what  suddenly  arrested  those  words  of  insane  pas- 
sion upon  my  lips  and  irresistibly  drew  me  down  upon  my 
knees  to  pray  ?  It  was  God,  who  then  announced  Himself 
to  me — God,  who  called  me  to  himself — God,  who  finally 
gave  me  strength  to  withstand  my  love  and  always  leave 
her  letters  unanswered  until  they  finally  ceased  to  come — 
until  her  complaints,  which,  however,  had  consoled  me, 
were  no  longer  heard  !  The  sacrifice  was  made,  God  ac- 
cepted it,  my  sin  was  expiated,  and  I  was  glad,  for  my 
heart  was  forever  broken,  and  never,  since  then,  has  a  smile 
of  happiness  played  upon  my  lips.  But  in  my  soul  has  it 
become  tranquil  and  serene,  God  dwells  there,  and  within 
me  is  a  peace  known  only  to  those  who  have  struggled  and 
overcome,  who  have  expiated  their  sins  with  a  free  will  and 
flayed  breast." 

"  And  your  beloved,  what  became  of  her  ?  "  asked  the 
cardinal.  "  Did  she  pardon  your  treason,  and  console  her- 
self in  the  arms  of  another  ?  " 

"  In  the  arms  of  death !  "  said  Ganganelli,  with  a  low 
voice.  "  My  silence  and  my  apparent  forgetfulness  of  her 
broke  her  heart ;  she  died  of  grief,  but  she  died  like  a  saint, 
and  her  last  words  were  :  '  May  God  forgive  him,  as  I  do ! 
I  curse  him  not,  but  bless  him,  rather ;  for  through  him  am 
I  released  from  the  burden  of  this  life,  and  all  sorrow  is 
overcome  ! '  She  therefore  died  in  the  belief  of  my  unfaith- 
fulness ;  she  did,  indeed,  pardon  me,  but  yet  she  believed 
me  a  faithless  betrayer !  And  the  consciousness  of  this  was 
to  me  a  new  torment  and  a  penance  which  I  shall  suffer 
forever  and  ever !  This  is  the  story  of  my  love,"  continued 
Ganganelli,  after  a  short  silence.     "  I  have  truly  related  it 


268  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

to  you  as  it  is.*  May  you,  my  son,  learn  from  it  that,  when 
we  wish  to  do  right,  we  can  always  succeed,  in  spite  of  our 
own  hearts  and  sinful  natures,  and  that  with  God's  help  we 
can  overcome  all  and  suffer  all.  You  see  that  I  have  loved, 
and  nevertheless  had  strength  to  renounce.  But  it  was 
God  who  gave  me  this  strength,  God  alone !  Turn  you, 
also,  to  God ;  pray  to  Him  to  destroy  in  you  your  sinful 
love ;  and,  if  you  implore  Him  with  the  right  words,  and 
with  the  right  fervor,  then  will  God  be  near  you  with  His 
strength,  and  in  the  pains  of  renunciation  will  He  purify 
your  soul,  preparing  it  for  virtue  and  all  that  is  good ! " 

"And  do  you  call  that  virtue?"  asked  the  cardinal. 
"  May  Heaven  preserve  me  from  so  cruel  a  virtue !  Do  you 
call  it  serving  God  when  this  virtue  makes  you  the  murderer 
of  your  beloved,  and,  more  savage  than  a  wild  beast,  deaf 
to  the  amorous  complaints  of  a  woman  whom  you  led  into 
love  and  sin,  whose  virtue  you  sacrificed  to  your  lust,  and 
whom  you  afterward  deserted  because,  as  you  say,  God 
called  to  yourself,  but  really  only,  because  satiated,  you  no 
longer  desired  her.  Your  faithlessness  cunningly  clothes 
itself  in  the  mantle  of  godliness,  nothing  further.  No,  no, 
holy  father  of  Christendom,  I  envy  you  not  this  virtue 
which  has  made  you  the  murderer  of  God's  noblest  work. 
That  is  a  sacrilege  committed  in  the  holy  temple  of  nature. 
Go  your  way,  and  think  yourself  great  in  your  bloodthirsty, 
murderous  virtue  !  You  will  not  convert  me  to  it.  Let  me 
still  remain  a  sinner — it  at  least  will  not  lead  me  to  murder 
the  woman  I  love,  and  provide  for  her  torment  and  suffer- 

♦  Joseph  Gorani,  "  Secret  Memoirs,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  26. 


POPE  GANGANELLI  (CLEMENT  XIV).  269 

ing,  instead  of  the  promised  pleasure.  Believe  me,  Gorilla 
has  never  yet  cursed  me,  nor  have  her  fine  eyes  ever  shed  a 
tear  of  sorrow  on  my  account.  You  have  made  your  be- 
loved an  unwilling  saint  and  martyr — possibly  that  may 
have  been  very  sublime,  and  the  angels  may  have  wept  or 
rejoiced  over  it.  I  have  lavished  upon  my  beloved  ones 
nothing  but  earthly  happiness.  I  have  not  made  them 
saints,  but  only  happy  children  of  this  world ;  and  even 
when  they  have  ceased  to  love  me,  they  have  always  con- 
tinued to  call  me  their  friend,  and  blessed  me  for  making 
them  rich  and  happy.  You  have  set  a  crown  of  thorns 
upon  the  head  of  your  beloved,  I  would  bind  a  laurel-crown 
upon  the  beautiful  brow  of  my  Gorilla,  which  will  not 
wound  her  head,  and  will  not  cause  her  to  die  of  grief. 
You  are  not  willing  to  aid  me  in  this,  my  work  ?  You  re- 
fuse me  this  laurel-wreath  because  you  have  only  martyr- 
crowns  to  dispose  of?  Very  well,  holy  father  of  Christen- 
dom, I  will  nevertheless  compel  you  to  comply  with  my 
wishes,  and  you  shall  have  no  peace  in  your  holy  city  from 
my  mad  tricks  until  you  promise  me  to  crown  the  great  im- 
provisatrice  in  the  capitol.  Until  then,  addio,  holy  father 
of  Christendom.  You  will  not  see  me  again  in  the  Vatican 
or  Quirinal,  but  all  Rome  shall  ring  with  news  of  me  ! " 

With  a  slight  salutation,  and  without  waiting  for  an 
answer  from  the  pope,  the  cardinal  departed  with  hasty 
steps,  and  soon  his  herculean  form  disappeared  in  the 
shadow  of  the  pine  and  olive  trees.  But  his  loud  and 
scornful  laugh  long  resounded  in  the  distance. 


270  THE  DADGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

THE    pope's    recreation    HOUR. 

The  pope  followed  his  retreating  form  with  a  glance  of 
sadness  and  a  shake  of  the  head. 

"  He  is  past  help,"  murmured  he ;  "  he  runs  to  his  ruin, 
and  the  voice  of  warning  is  unheeded.  But  how,  if  he 
should  happen  to  be  right  ?  How,  if  he  with  his  worldly 
wisdom  and  his  theory  of  earthly  happiness,  should  be  more 
conformable  to  the  will  of  God  than  we  with  our  virtue  and 
our  doctrine  of  renunciation?  Ah,  yes,  the  world  is  so 
beautiful,  it  seems  made  entirely  for  pleasure  and  enjoy- 
ment, and  yet  men  wander  through  it  with  tearful  eyes,  dis- 
regarding its  beauty,  and  refusing  to  share  its  pleasures. 
All,  except  man,  is  free  on  earth.  He  alone  lies  in  con- 
straining bands,  and  his  heart  bleeds  while  all  creation  re- 
joices. No,  no,  that  cannot  be ;  every  individual  does  what 
he  can  to  render  mankind  free  and  happy,  and  I  also  will 
do  my  part.  God  has  laid  great  power  in  my  hand,  and  I 
will  use  it  so  long  as  it  is  mine." 

Thus  speaking,  the  pope  left  the  garden,  and  hastened 
up  to  his  study. 

"  Signor  Galiandro,"  said  he,  to  his  private  secretary, 
"  did  you  not-  speak  to  me  to-day  of  several  petitions  re- 
ceived, in  which  people  begged  for  dispensations  from  monk 
and  cloister  vows  ?  " 

Signor  Galiandro  smilingly  rummaged  among  a  mass  of 
papers  that  covered  the  pope's  writing-table. 

"  In  the  last  four  weeks  some  fifty  such  petitions  have 


THE   POPE'S  RECREATION   HOUR,  271 

beeD  received.  Since  your  holiness  has  released  several 
monks  and  nuns  from  their  vows,  all  these  pious  brides  of 
Christ  and  tliese  consecrated  priests  seem  to  have  tired  of 
their  cloister  life,  and  long  to  be  out  in  the  world  again." 

"  Whoever  does  not  freely  and  willingly  remain  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  we  will  not  retain  them,"  said  Ganganelli. 
"  Compelled  service  of  the  Lord  is  no  service,  and  the 
prayer  of  the  lips  without  the  concurrence  of  the  heart  is 
null !  Give  me  all  these  petitions,  that  I  may  grant  them  ! 
The  love  of  the  world  is  awakened  in  these  monks  and 
nuns,  and  we  will  give  back  to  the  world  what  belongs  to 
the  world.  With  their  resisting  and  struggling  hearts 
they  will  make  but  bad  priests  and  nuns ;  perhaps  it  will 
be  better  for  them  to  become  founders  of  families.  And 
they  who  honestly  do  their  duty,  equally  serve  God, 
whether  they  are  in  a  cloister  or  in  the  bosoms  of  their 
families."  * 

The  pope  seated  himself  at  his  writing-table,  and  after 
having  carefully  examined  all  the  petitions  for  dispensa- 
tions, signed  his  consent,  and  smilingly  handed  them  back 
to  his  secretary. 

"  I  hope  we  have  here  made  some  people  happy,"  said 
he,  rising,  "  and  therefore  it  may,  perhaps,  be  allowed  us 
also  to  be  happy  in  our  own  way  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour." 

He  lightly  touched  the  silver  bell  suspended  over  his 
writing-table,  and  at  the  immediately  opened  door  appeared 
the  pleasant  and  well-nourished  face  of  brother  Lorenzo, 

*  Ganganelli's  own  words. — See  Gorani,  vol.  ii.,  p.  41. 


272  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

the  Franciscan  monk,  who  performed  the  whole  service  of 
the  pope. 

"  Lorenzo,"  said  Ganganelli,  with  a  smile,  "  let  us  go 
down  into  the  poultry-yard.  You  must  show  me  the  young 
chickens  of  which  you  told  me  yesterday.  And  hear,  would 
it  be  asking  too  much  to  beg  of  you  to  bring  my  dinner 
into  the  garden  ?  " 

"  I  would  that  you  could  ask  too  much,"  said  brother 
Lorenzo,  waddling  after  his  master,  who  was  descending 
the  stairs  leading  to  the  court-yard.  "  I  really  wish,  your 
holiness,  that  it  were  asking  too  much,  for  then  your  dinner 
would  be  at  least  a  little  more  desirable  and  heavier  to  trans- 
port !  Was  such  a  thing  ever  heard  of  ?  the  father  of  Chris- 
tianity keeps  a  table  like  that  of  a  poorest  begging  monk, 
and  is  satisfied  with  milk,  fruit,  bread,  and  vegetables, 
while  the  fattest  of  capons  and  ducks  are  crammed  in  vain 
for  him,  and  his  cellar  is  replete  with  the  most  generous 
wines." 

"  Well,  well,  scold  not,"  said  Ganganelli,  smiling ;  "  have 
we  not  for  years  felt  ourselves  well  in  the  Franciscan  cloister, 
it  never  once  occurring  to  us  to  wish  ourselves  better  off? 
Why  should  I  now  quit  the  habits  of  years  and  accustom 
myself  to  other  usages?  When  I  was  yet  a  Franciscan 
monk,  I  always  had,  thanks  to  our  simple  manner  of  living, 
a  very  healthy  stomach,  and  would  you  have  me  spoil  it 
now,  merely  because  I  have  become  pope  ?  It  has  always 
remained  the  same  human  body,  Lorenzo,  and  all  the  rest 
is  only  falsehood  and  fraud !  How  few  years  is  it  since  you 
and  I  were  in  the  cloister,  and  you  served  the  poor  Fran- 
ciscan monk  as  a  lay  brother !     You  then  called  me  brother 


THE  POPE'S  RECREATION   HOUR.      .  273 

Clement,  and  they  all  did  the  same,  and  now  you  no  longer 
call  me  brother,  but  holy  father !  How  can  your  brother  of 
yesterday  be  your  father  of  to-day  ?  We  are  here  alone, 
Lorenzo  ;  nobody  sees  or  hears  us.  We  would  for  once  cease 
to  be  holy  father,  and  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  become  again 
brother  Clement." 

"  Ahem !  it  was  not  so  bad  there,"  simpered  Lorenzo. 
"  It  was  yet  very  pleasant  in  our  dear  cloister,  and  I  often 
think,  brother,  that  you  were  far  happier  then  than  now, 
when  every  one  falls  upon  his  knees  to  kiss  your  slipper. 
It  must  be  very  dull  to  be  always  holy,  always  so  great  and 
sublime,  and  always  revered  and  adored ! " 

"  Therefore  let  us  go  to  our  ducks  and  hens,"  said  the 
pope.  "The  people  have  made  a  bugbear  of  me,  before 
which  they  fall  upon  the  earth.  But  tlie  good  animals,  who 
understand  nothing  of  these  things,  they  cackle  and  grunt, 
and  gabble  at  me,  as  if  I  were  nothing  but  a  common  goose- 
herd  and  by  no  means  the  sainted  father  of  Christendom ! 
Come,  come  to  my  dear  brutes,  who  are  so  frank  and  sincere 
that  they  cackle  and  gabble  directly  in  my  face  as  soon  as 
their  beaks  and  snouts  are  grown.  They  are  not  so  humble 
and  devoted,  so  adoring  and  cringing,  as  these  men  who 
prostrate  themselves  before  me  with  humble  and  hypocrit- 
ical devotion,  but  who  secretly  curse  me  and  wish  my  death, 
that  there  may  be  a  change  in  the  papacy !  Come,  come,  to 
our  honest  geese  !  " 

Brother  Lorenzo  handed  to  the  pope  the  willow  basket 
filled  with  corn  and  green  leaves,  and  both,  with  hasty  steps 
and  laughing  faces,  betook  themselves  to  the  poultry-yard  ; 
tbe  ducks  and  geese  fluttered  to  them  with  a  noisy  gabblitig 


274      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

as  soou  as  they  caught  sight  of  the  provender-basket,  and 
Ganganelli  laughingly  said :  "  It  seems  as  if  I  were  here  in 
the  conclave,  and  listening  to  the  contention  of  the  cardi- 
nals as  they  quarrel  about  the  choice  of  a  new  pope.  Lo- 
renzo, I  should  well  like  to  know  who  will  succeed  me  in  the 
sacred  chair  and  hold  the  keys  of  St.  Peter !  That  will  be  a 
stormy  conclave  ! — Be  quiet,  my  dear  ducks  and  geese  !  In- 
deed, you  are  in  the  right,  I  forgot  my  duty !  Well,  well,  I 
will  give  you  your  food  now — here  it  is ! " 

And  the  pope  with  full  hands  strewed  the  corn  among 
the  impatiently  gabbling  geese,  and  heartily  laughed  at  the 
eagerness  with  which  they  threw  themselves  upon  it. 

"  And  is  it  not  with  men  as  with  these  dear  animals  ?  " 
said  he,  laughing ;  "  When  one  satisfies  them  with  food,  they 
become  silent,  mild,  and  gentle.  Princes  should  always 
remember  that,  and  before  all  things  satiate  their  subjects 
with  food,  if  they  would  have  a  tranquil  and  unopposed 
government !  Ah,  that  reminds  me  of  our  own  poor,  Lo- 
renzo !  Many  petitions  have  been  received,  much  misery  has 
been  described,  and  many  heart-rending  complaints  have 
been  made  to  me !  " 

"  That  is  because  they  know  you  are  always  giving  and 
would  rather  suffer  want  yourself  than  refuse  gifts  to 
.others,"  growled  Lorenzo.  "  Hardly  half  the  month  is  past, 
and  we  are  already  near  the  end  of  our  means ! " 

"  Already  ?  "  exclaimed  the  pope,  with  alarm.  "  And  I 
believe  I  yet  need  much  money.  There  is  a  father  of  four- 
teen children  who  has  fallen  from  a  scaffolding  and  broken 
both  legs.  We  must  care  for  him,  Lorenzo;  the  children 
must  not  want  for  bread  !  " 


THE  POPE'S  RECREATION  HOUR.  275 

"  That  is  imderstood,  that  is  Christian  duty,"  said  Lo- 
renzo, eagerly.  "  Give  me  the  address,  I  will  go  to  him  yet 
to-day  !     And  how  much  money  shall  I  take  with  me  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  thought,"  timidly  responded  Ganganelli,  "  that 
five  scudi  would  not  be  too  much !  " 

Lorenzo  compassionately  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  You 
can  never  learn  the  value  of  money,"  said  he ;  "I  am  now 
to  take^ye  scudi  to  these  fourteen  children." 

"  Is  it  not  enough  ?  "  joyfully  asked  Ganganelli.  "  Well, 
I  thank  God  that  you  are  so  disposed  !  I  only  feared  you 
would  refuse  me  so  much,  because  my  treasury,  as  you  say, 
is  already  empty.  But  if  we  yet  have  something  left,  give 
more,  much  more  !     At  least  a  hundred  scudi,  Lorenzo  !  " 

"  That  is  always  the  way  with  you  ;  from  extreme  to  ex- 
treme ! "  grumbled  Lorenzo.  "  First  too  little,  then  too 
much  !  I  shall  take  to  them  twenty  scudi,  and  that  will  be 
sufficient !  " 

"  Give  them  thirty,"  begged  Ganganelli,  "  do  you  hear, 
thirty,  brother  Lorenzo.  Thirty  scudi  is  yet  a  very  small 
sum  I " 

"  Ah,  what  do  you  know  about  money  ?  "  answered  Lo- 
renzo, laughing ;  "  these  geese  here  understand  the  matter 
better  than  you,  brother  Clement." 

"  Well,  it  is  for  that  reason  I  have  made  you  my  cashier," 
laughed  Ganganelli.  "  A  prince  will  always  be  well  advised 
when  he  chooses  a  sensible  and  well-instructed  servant  for 
that  which  he  does  not  understand  himself.  To  acknowl- 
edge his  ignorance  on  the  proper  occasion  does  honor  to  a 
prince,  and  procures  him  more  respect  than  if  he  sought  to 
give  himself  the  appearance  of  knowing  and  understanding 


276  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

everything.  Come,  Lorenzo,  let  us  go  iuto  the  garden ;  you 
see  that  these  fowls  care  nothing  for  us  now ;  as  they  are 
satiated,  they  despise  our  provender.  Come,  let  us  go  far- 
ther !  " 

"  Yes,  into  the  garden ! "  exclaimed  Lorenzo,  with  a 
mysterious  smile.  "  Come,  brother  Clement,  I  have  prepared 
a  little  surprise  for  you  there  !     Come  and  see  it !  " 

And  the  two  old  men  turned  their  steps  toward  the  gar- 
den. 

"Follow  me,"  said  Lorenzo,  preceding  the  pope,  and 
leading  him  to  a  more  solitary  and  better  screened  part  of 
the  garden.  "  Now  stoop  a  little  and  creep  through  here, 
and  then  we  are  at  the  place." 

The  pope  carefully  followed  the  directions  of  his  leader, 
and  worked  his  way  through  the  obstruction  of  the  myrtle- 
bushes  until  he  arrived  at  a  small  circular  place,  in  the 
centre  of  which,  shaded  by  tall  olive-trees,  was  a  turf-seat 
surrounded  by  tendrils  of  ivy,  and  before  which  was  a  small 
table  of  wood  yet  retaining  its  natural  covering  of  bark. 

"  See,  this  is  my  surprise !  "  said  Lorenzo. 

Ganganelli  stood  silent  and  motionless,  with  folded 
hands.  A  deep  emotion  was  visible  in  his  gentle  mien,  and 
tears  rolled  slowly  down  over  his  cheeks. 

"  Well,  is  it  not  well  copied,  and  true  to  nature  ?  "  asked 
Lorenzo,  whose  eyes  beamed  with  satisfaction. 

"  My  favorite  spot  in  the  garden  of  the  Franciscan  con- 
vent ! "  said  Ganganelli  in  a  tone  trembling  with  emotion. 
"Yes,  yes,  Lorenzo,  you  have  represented  it  exactly,  you 
know  well  enough  what  gives  me  pleasure !  Accept  my 
thanks,  my  dear  good  brother." 


THE  POPE'S  RECREATION  HOUR.  277 

And,  while  giving  his  hand  to  the  monk,  his  eye  wan- 
dered with  gentle  delight  over  the  place,  with  its  beautiful 
trees  and  green  reposing  bank,  and  thoughtfully  rested  upon 
each  individual  object. 

"  So  was  it,"  he  murmured  low,  "  precisely  so ;  yes,  yes, 
in  this  place  have  I  passed  my  fairest  and  most  precious 
hours ;  what  have  I  not  thought  and  dreamed  as  a  youth 
and  as  a  man,  how  many  wishes,  how  many  hopes  have  there 
thrilled  my  bosom,  and  how  few  of  them  have  been  real- 
ized!" 

"  But  one  thing  has  been  realized,"  said  Lorenzo, 
"  greater  than  all  you  could  have  dreamed  or  hoped  !  "Who 
would  ever  have  thought  it  possible  that  the  poor,  unknown 
Franciscan  monk  would  become  the  greatest  and  most  sub- 
lime prince  in  the  whole  world,  the  father  of  all  Christen- 
dom? That  is,  indeed,  a  happiness  that  brother  Clement, 
upon  his  grass-bank  in  the  Franciscan  convent,  could  never 
have  expected ! " 

"  You,  then,  consider  it  a  happiness,"  said  Ganganelli, 
slowly  letting  himself  down  upon  the  grass-bank.  "  Yes, 
yes,  such  are  you  good  human  beings !  wherever  there  is  a 
little  bit  of  show,  a  little  bit  of  outward  splendor,  you  im- 
mediately conclude  that  there  is  great  happiness.  This 
proves  that  you  see  only  the  outward  form,  paying  no  re- 
gard to  what  is  concealed  under  that  form,  and  which  is 
often  very  bitter.  Believe  me,  Lorenzo,  in  these  times  there 
is  no  very  great  happiness  in  being  pope  and  the  so-called 
father  of  Christendom.  The  princes  have  become  very 
troublesome  and  disobedient  children ;  they  are  no  longer 
willing  to  recognize  our  paternal  authority,  and  if  the  holy 


278  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

father  does  not  manifest  a  complaisant  friendliness  toward 
these  refractory  princely  children,  and  wink  at  their  inde- 
pendence, they  will  renounce  the  whole  connection  and  quit 
the  paternal  mansion.  We  should  then,  indeed,  be  the 
holy  father  of  Christendom,  but  no  longer  have  any  chil- 
dren under  the  paternal  authority  !  For  having  so  ex- 
pressed myself,  I  shall  never  be  pardoned  by  the  cardinals 
and  princes  of  the  Church ;  it  has  made  them  my  deadly 
enemies,  and  yet  it  is  with  these  principles  alone  that  I  have 
succeeded  in  bringing  the  refractory  Portuguese  court  again 
under  my  parental  control ! 

"  But  here  in  this  pleasant  place  let  us  dismiss  such  un- 
pleasant thoughts,"  the  pope  more  cheerfully  continued, 
after  a  pause.  "  Here  I  will  forget  that  I  am  pope ;  here 
I  will  never  be  anything  more  than  brother  Clement  of  the 
Franciscan  convent,  nor  shall  the  cares  and  troubles  of  the 
pope,  nor  his  holiness  or  infallibility,  accompany  him  to 
this  dear  quiet  place.  Here  I  will  be  only  a  man,  and  for- 
getting my  cramping  highness  and  my  forced  splendor,  will 
here  right  humanly  enjoy  the  sun  and  this  soft  green  grass, 
and  in  deep  draughts  inhale  this  sweet  balsamic  air.  Ah, 
how  happy  one  may  yet  be  if  he  can  for  a  moment  escape 
fropi  the  envelope  of  dignity  by  which  he  is  kept  a  chrys- 
alis, and  freely  exercise  the  butterfly  wings  of  manhood  ! 
And  hear  me  for  once,  brother  Lorenzo,  so  very  human  has 
your  pope  here  become,  that  he  feels  a  right  fresh  human 
appetite.  If  all  here  is  as  it  used  to  be  at  the  convent,  then 
must  you  have  something  to  appease  my  hunger." 

Brother  Lorenzo  nodded  with  a  sly  smile.  Stepping  to 
the  side  of  the  grassy  bank,  and  slipping  aside  a  small  door 


A  DEATH-SENTENCE.  279 

concealed  by  the  grass,  he  disclosed  a  walled  excavation, 
filled  with  fruits  and  pastry. 

"  I  see  you  have  forgotten  nothing!  "  joyfully  exclaimed 
Ganganelli,  taking  some  of  the  fragrant  fruit  which  Loren- 
zo tendered  him.  "  Ah,  you  make  me  very  happy,  Lo- 
renzo." 

Saying  this,  he  threw  his  arm  around  Lorenzo's  neck, 
and  silently  pressed  him  to  his  bosom. 

Brother  Lorenzo  was  equally  silent,  but  he  no  longer 
laughed ;  his  usually  cheerful  face  assumed  a  wonderfully 
clear  and  pleased  expression,  and  two  large  tears  rolled 
down  over  his  cheek — but  they  were  tears  of  joy. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A    DEATH-SENTENCE. 

% 

An  approaching  bustling,  a  vehement  calling  and 
screaming,  disturbed  the  two  old  men.  It  was  Lorenzo  who 
Avas  called,  and  he  quickly  glided  through  the  bushes  to 
look  after  the  cause  of  this  disturbance.  But  soon  he  re- 
turned with  a  melancholy  face  and  depressed  mien. 

"  Brother  Clement,"  said  he,  "  it  is  already  all  over  with 
our  enjoyment,  which  has  been  so  great  for  me  that  I  for- 
got to  remind  you  that  the  pope  cannot  neglect  the  hour 
in  which  he  gives  audience.  That  hour  has  now  come, 
and  your  anteroom  is  already  filled  with  princes  and  prel- 
ates." 

"  And  yet  you  speak  of  the  great  happiness  of  being 


280  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

pope,"  said  Ganganelli,  rising  with  a  sigh  from  the  grassy 
bank.  "  I  am  not  allowed  an  hour  for  recreation,  and  yet 
people  think — but  no,"  said  Ganganelli,  interrupting  him- 
self and  laughing,  "  we  should  not  be  ungrateful,  and  it 
would  be  ungrateful  for  me  now  to  complain.  If  I  have 
not  had  an  hour  for  recreation,  well,  I  have  had  half  an 
hour,  and  even  that  is  much  !  " 

And,  beckoning  to  brother  Lorenzo  to  follow  him,  the 
pope  crept  through  the  bushes  that  separated  the  place 
from  the  more  frequented  part  of  the  garden. 

As  he  tlien  walked  up  the  grand  alley,  his  face  and  his 
whole  form  assumed  a  very  different  appearance.  The  mild 
friendliness  had  vanished  from  his  features,  pride  and  dig- 
nity were  now  expressed  by  them,  and  his  tall,  erect  form 
had  in  it  something  noble  and  imposing ;  it  was  no  longer 
the  stooping  form  of  age,  but  only  that  of  a  somewhat 
elderly  hero.  The  brother  Clement  had  been  transformed 
into  the  prince  of  the  Church,  who  was  about  to  receive  his 
vassals. 

They  now  saw  a  tall,  manly  form  hastening  down  the 
alley  directly  toward  the  pope. 

"Who  is  it?"  asked  Ganganelli,  half  turning  toward 
Lorenzo,  who  was  following  him. 

"  It  is  Juan  Angelo  Braschi,  the  formei  treasurer,  to 
whom  you  yesterday  sent  the  cardinal's  hat." 

"  Ah,  the  beautiful  Braschi,"  sadly  murmured  Ganga- 
nelli. "  The  beloved  of  the  favorite  of  my  nephew,  of  the 
Cardinal  Rezzonico.     Ah,  how  bad  the  world  is  !" 

In  fact,  he  whom  Ganganelli  called  the  "beautiful" 
Braschi,  well  deserved  that  epithet.      No  nobler  or  more 


A  DEATH-SENTENCE.  281 

plastic  beauty  was  to  be  seen ;  no  face  that  more  reminded 
one  of  the  divine  beauty  of  ancient  sculpture,  no  form  that 
could  be  called  a  better  counterfeit  of  the  Belvedere  Apollo. 
And  it  was  this  beauty  which  liberal  Nature  had  imparted 
to  him  as  its  noblest  gift,  which  helped  Juan  Angelo  Bras- 
chi,  the  son  of  a  poor  nobleman  of  Cesara,  to  his  good  for- 
tune, his  highest  offices  and  dignities.  Not  for  his  merits, 
but  solely  for  his  beauty,  did  the  women  bestow  upon  him 
their  love;  and  as  among  these  women  there  were  some 
who  exercised  an  important  influence  upon  powerful  car- 
dinals, Braschi  had  quickly  mounted  from  step  to-  step, 
crowding  aside  those  who  had  nothing  but  their  merits  and 
services  to  speak  for  them. 

With  a  free  and  noble  demeanor,  Braschi  now  ap- 
proached the  pope,  who  remained  standing  at  some  dis- 
tance awaiting  him,  with  a  calm  and  proud  self-possession. 
Braschi  dropped  upon  one  knee,  and  pressing  the  hem  of 
the  pope's  garment  in  his  lips,  said : 

"  Pardon  me,  most  holy  father,  that  I  have  ventured  to 
seek  you  here.  But  my  lively  gratitude  would  not  be 
longer  restrained.  It  impelled  me  toward  you  with  the 
wings  of  the  wind.  I  must  be  the  first  to  fall  at  your  feet 
to  stammer  out  to  you  my  inexpressible  thanks." 

Proudly  nodding  his  head  the  pope  motioned  him  to 
rise. 

"  It  is  well,"  said  he,  "  and  you  have  lent  your  gratitude 
an  abundance  of  words.  It  is  true  you  were  only  treas- 
urer, and  I  have  permitted  you  to  take  a  great  step  in 
making  you  a  cardinal.  But  remember,  my  lord  cardinal, 
that  I  have  promoted  you  only  because  I  wished  to  take 
19 


282  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

from  you  the  office  of  treasurer,  as  I  need  a  man  for  that 
post  whose  honesty  no  one  could  call  in  question ! "  * 

Thus  speaking  he  passed  on  with  a  ceremonious  saluta- 
tion, leaving  the  new  cardinal  rooted  to  the  earth  with 
terror,  his  beautiful  brow  distorted  with  rage. 

"He  shall  expiate  that,"  muttered  Braschi,  gnashing 
bis  teeth,  as  the  pope  slowly  pursued  his  way.  "  By  the 
Eternal,  the  proud  Franciscan  shall  expiate  that !  Ah,  the 
day  will  come  when  he  will  fully  remember  these  words ! " 

Meantime,  Ganganelli  wandered  calmly  on,  followed  by 
his  faithful  Lorenzo,  with  a  smile  of  joy  at  this  dismissal 
and  humiliation  of  the  proud  and  handsome  Cardinal 
Braschi. 

The  pope  suddenly  stopped,  and  turning  to  Lorenzo, 
said: 

"  What  a  strange  thought  has  passed  through  my  head ! 
I  have  made  this  miserable  coxcomb  Braschi  a  cardinal 
because  he  was  not  honest  enough  for  a  treasurer,  but  in 
doing  so  I  have  paved  the  way  for  him  to  the  papal  throne ! 
Would  it  not  be  strange,  Lorenzo,  if  I  have  thus  myself 
provided  my  successor?  His  dishonesty  and  intriguing 
disposition  has  made  him  a  cardinal.  Why  can  it  not  also 
make  him  a  pope?    The  world  is  indeed  so  strange  ! "  f 

*  The  pope's  own  words. — See  Gorani,  vol.  ii.,  p.  27. 

f  Juan  Angelo  Braschi,  whom  Pope  Clement  XIV.  made  a  car- 
dinal, was  in  fact  Ganganelli's  successor,  and  took  possession  of  the 
papal  chair  as  Pius  VI.  He  was  chosen  after  a  very  stormy  conclave, 
and  indeed  the  different  parties  voted  for  him  on  the  ground  that  he 
belonged  to  no  party,  and  because  they  thought  he  was  so  very  much 
occupied  with  his  own  beauty  that  he  would  think  of  nothing  else, 
and,  while  occupied  with  the  care  of  his  face,  would  leave  the  cares 
of  state  to  others. 


A  DEATH-SENTENCE.  283 

"  What  dreams  those  are,"  murmured  Lorenzo,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders ;  "  the  idea  that  a  Braschi  could  be  the 
successor  of  the  noble  Ganganelli !  " 

Many  cardinals  and  princes  of  the  Church,  many  noble- 
men and  foreign  ambassadors,  were  assembled  in  the  pope's 
audience-room,  and  as  Ganganelli  entered,  they  all  received 
him  with  joyful  acclamations,  and  humbly  fell  upon  their 
knees  before  the  head  of  the  church,  the  vicegerent  of  God, 
who,  with  solemn  majesty,  bestowed  upon  them  his  bless- 
ing, and  then  condescendingly  conversed  with  them.  That 
was  a  ceremony  to  which  the  pope  was  obliged  to  subject 
himself  once  a  week,  and  which  he  reckoned  as  not  one  of 
the  least  of  the  troubles  attendant  upon  his  exalted  posi- 
tion. Hence  he  was  well  pleased  when  this  hour  was  over, 
and  he  at  length  was  relieved  of  the  presence  of  all  these 
eulogistic  and  flattering  gentlemen. 

Only  Cardinal  Bernis  had  remained  behind,  and  to  him 
Ganganelli,  giving  him  his  hand,  and  drawing  a  deep  breath, 
said : 

"  What  a  mass  of  false  and  hypocritical  phrases  we  have 
again  been  obliged  to  swallow !  These  cardinals  have  the 
impudence  to  speak  to  me  of  their  love  and  veneration ;  they 
do  not  hesitate  so  to  lie  with  the  same  lips  which  to-day  have 
already  pronounced  blessings  and  pious  words  of  edifica- 
tion !  But  let  us  forget  these  hypocrites.  Business  is  over, 
and  it  is  kind  of  you  to  come  and  chat  with  me  for  one 
little  hour.  You  know  I  love  you  very  much,  my  good 
friend  Bernis,  although  you  do  pay  homage  to  the  heathen 
divinities,  and,  as  a  real  renegade,  have  constituted  yourself 
a  priest  of  the  muses." 


284  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Ah,  you  speak  of  my  youthful  sins,"  said  the  cardinal, 
smiling.  "  They  are  long  since  past,  and  sleep  with  my 
youthful  happiness." 

"  That  must  be  a  wide  bed  which  enables  them  all  to 
find  place  side  by  side,"  responded  Ganganelli,  laughing, 
and  holding  up  his  forefinger  threateningly  to  the  cardinal. 

"  But  what  is  that  you  are  drawing  from  your  breast- 
pocket with  such  an  important  air  ?  " 

"  A  letter  from  the  Marquise  de  Pompadour,  holy  father," 
seriously  replied  the  cardinal — "a  letter  in  which  I  am 
commanded  to  communicate  to  you,  the  father  of  Christen- 
dom, the  acquiescence  of  France  in  your  proposed  abolition 
of  the  order  of  the  Jesuits.  Here  is  a  private  letter  ad- 
dressed to  me  by  the  marquise,  and  here  the  official  letter 
signed  by  King  Louis,  which  is  destined  for  your  holi- 
ness." 

The  pope  took  the  papers,  and  while  he  was  reading 
them  his  face  turned  deadly  pale,  and  a  dark  cloud  gathered 
upon  his  brow. 

"  France  also  acquiesces,"  said  he,  when  he  had  finished 
the  reading.  "  How  is  it,  then — were  you  not  yourself 
against  the  abolition  of  the  order,  and  were  you  not  in 
accordance  with  the  Spanish  ambassador,  your  friend  of 
many  years  ?  " 

"  This  friendship  of  many  years  is  to-day  destroyed  by  a 
fish,  and  drives  us  a  helpless  wreck  upon  the  wildly-rolling 
waves,"  said  the  cardinal,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 

Ganganelli  paid  no  attention  to  him.  Serious  and 
thoughtful,  he  walked  up  and  down  the  room,  while  his 
heavenward-directed  eye  seemed  to  address  a  great  and  all- 


A   DEATH-SENTENCE.  285 

important  question  to  the  Being  there  above,  which  re- 
ceived no  answer. 

"  I  clearly  see  how  it  will  be,"  finally  murmured  the 
pope,  as  if  talking  to  himself.  "  I  shall  complete  the  work 
I  have  begun — it  is  God  Himself  who  has  opened  the  way 
for  it,  but  this  way  will  at  the  same  time  lead  me  to  my 
grave." 

"  What  dark  thoughts  are  these  ?  "  said  Bernis,  approach- 
ing him.  "  This  bold  and  high-hearted  resolution  will  not 
bring  you  death,  but  fame  and  immortality." 

"  It  will  at  least  lead  me  to  immortality,"  said  the  pope, 
with  a  faint  smile.  "  The  dead  are  all  immortal.  But 
think  not  so  little  of  me  as  to  suppose  I  would  now  timidly 
shrink  from  doing  that  which  I  have  once  recognized  as 
right  and  necessary.  Only  there  are  necessities  of  a  very 
painful  and  dreadful  kind.  Such  a  necessity  is  war.  And 
is  it  not  a  war  that  I  commence,  and  does  it  not  involve  the 
destruction  of  all  those  thousands  who  call  themselves  the 
followers  of  Loyola,  and  belong  to  the  Society  of  Jesus? 
Ah,  believe  me,  this  Society  of  Jesus  is  a  hydra,  and  we 
shall  never  succeed  in  entirely  extirpating  it.  I  may  now 
cleave  the  head  with  my  sword,  and  with  the  same  blow  I 
may  separate  my  own  head  from  my  body ;  but  a  day  will 
come  when  the  head  of  this  hydra  will  have  grown  again, 
and  when  it  will  rise  from  the  dead  with  renewed  vitality, 
while  I  shall  be  mouldering  in  my  grave.  Say  not,  there- 
fore, that  I  know  not  how  to  destroy  them,  and  if  you  do 
say  it,  at  least  add  that  I  lacked  not  the  will,  but  that  I  gave 
for  it  my  own  life." 

Thus  speaking,  the  pope  slightly  nodded  an  adieu  to  the 


286  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

cardinal,  and  withdrew  into  his  study,  the  door  of  which  he 
carefully  closed  after  him. 

There  was  he  long  heard  to  walk  the  room  with  measured 
steps.  Then  all  was  still.  No  one  ventured  to  disturb  him. 
Hours  passed.  Lorenzo,  with  a  fearful  presentiment,  knelt 
before  the  door.  He  laid  his  ear  to  the  keyhole  and  tried 
to  listen.  All  was  still  within,  nothing  stirred.  At  length 
he  ventured  to  call  the  pope's  name — at  first  low  and  tremu- 
lously, then  louder  and  more  anxiously,  and  as  no  answer 
was  received,  he  at  last  ventured  to  open  the  door. 

At  his  writing-table  sat  the  pope ;  his  face  deadly  pale, 
with  staring  eyes  and  great  drops  of  perspiration  on  his  fore- 
head. Immovable  sat  he  there,  his  right  hand,  which  held  a 
pen,  resting  on  a  parchment  lying  upon  the  table  before  him. 

Like  an  image  of  wax,  so  stiff,  so  motionless  was  he,  that 
Lorenzo,  shuddering,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  upon  his 
brow.  Then,  noiselessly  advancing,  he  timidly  and  anx- 
iously touched  the  pope's  shoulder.  Ganganelli  shuddered, 
and  a  slight  trembling  pervaded  his  members ;  he  then  drew 
a  long  breath,  and,  casting  a  dull  glance  at  his  faithful 
friend,  said : 

"  Lorenzo,  let  my  coffin  be  ordered,  and  pray  for  my 
soul.  I  have  just  now  signed  my  own  death-sentence. 
See,  there  it  lies.  I  have  signed  the  decree  abolishing  the 
order  of  the  Jesuits  !  I  must  therefore  die,  Lorenzo.  It  is 
all  over  and  past  with  our  shady  place  and  our  recreations. 
My  murderers  are  already  prowling  around  me,  for  I  tell 
you  I  have  myself  signed  my  death-sentence ! "  * 

*  The  pope's  own  words. — See  Gorani,  vol.  ii.,  p.  41. 


THE  FESTlVxVL  OP  CARDINAL  BERNIS.  287 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE   FESTIVAL   OF   CARDINAL   BERNIS. 

And  this  day  of  the  festival  had  finally  come.  With 
what  joyful  impatience,  with  what  anxious  desire,  had  Nata- 
lie looked  forward  to  it — how  had  she  importuned  her 
friend,  Count  Paulo,  with  questions  about  Cardinal  Bernis, 
about  the  people  she  would  meet  there,  about  the  manners 
and  usages  with  which  she  would  have  to  conform ! 

"  I  am  anxious  and  fearful,"  said  she,  with  amiable 
modesty ;  "  they  will  find  occasion  to  laugh  at  me,  and  you 
will  be  compelled  to  blush  for  me,  Paulo.  But  you  must 
tell  these  wise  men  and  great  ladies  that  it  is  my  very  first 
appearance  in  society,  and  that  they  must  have  considera- 
tion for  the  awkwardness  and  ineptitude  of  a  poor  child 
who  knows  nothing  of  the  world,  its  forms,  or  its  laws." 

"  For  you  no  excuse  will  be  necessary,"  responded  Paulo, 
pressing  the  delicate  tips  of  her  fingers  to  his  lips.  "  Only 
be  quite  yourself,  perfectly  true  and  open,  inoffensive  and 
cheerful !  Forget  that  you  are  in  an  assemblage ;  imagine 
yourself  to  be  in  our  garden,  under  the  trees  and  among 
the  flowers,  and  speak  to  people  as  you  speak  to  your  trees 
and  flowers." 

"  But  will  the  people  give  me  as  true  and  cordial  an- 
swers as  my  trees  and  flowers  ? "  asked  Natalie,  thought- 
fully. 

"  They  will  say  to  you  more  beautiful  and  more  flatter- 
ing things,"  said  Paulo,  smiling.  "  But  now,  Natalie,  it  is 
time  to  be  thinking  of  your  toilet.     See,  the  sun  is  already 


288  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

sinking  behind  the  pines,  and  the  sky  begins  to  redden ! 
The  time  to  go  will  soon  arrive,  and  your  first  triumph 
awaits  you ! " 

"  Oh,  it  will  not  have  long  to  wait,"  said  Natalie,  laugh- 
ing, and,  light  and  graceful  as  a  gazelle,  she  tripped  to  the 
house. 

Count  Paulo  gazed  after  her  with  a  melancholy  rapture. 
"  And  I  am  to  leave  this  angel,"  thought  he,  "  to  lose  the 
brightest  and  noblest  jewel  of  my  life,  and  drive  myself  out 
of  paradise.  And  wherefore  all  this?  Perhaps  to  chase  a 
phantom  that  will  never  become  a  reality,  to  follow  a 
chimera  which  may  be  only  a  meteor  that  dances  before  me 
and  dissolves  into  mist  when  I  think  to  reach  it  ?  No,  no, 
the  world  is  not  worth  so  much  that  one  should  sell  himself 
and  his  soul's  happiness  for  its  splendor  and  its  greatness. 
Natalie  herself  shall  decide.  Loves  she  me,  and  is  she 
satisfied  with  the  quiet  circumscribed  existence  that  I  can 
henceforth  only  offer  her,  then  away,  ye  vain  dreams  and 
ye  proud  desires  for  greatness ;  then  shall  I  be,  if  not  the 
greatest,  certainly  the  happiest  of  human  beings ! " 

It  was  a  wonderfully  brilliant  festival  that  Cardinal 
Bernis  had  to-day  prepared  for  his  guests — a  festival  hith- 
erto unequalled  in  Rome.  The  walls  were  decorated  with 
garlands  and  festoons  of  flowers,  the  flaming  candelabras 
among  which  found  their  reflection  in  the  tall  Venetian 
mirrors  that  rose  in  their  golden  frames  from  the  floor  to 
the  ceilings ;  and  in  the  corners  of  the  rooms  were  niches, 
here  furnished  with  orange- trees,  and  there  with  heavy  silk 
curtains,  behind  which  were  grottoes  adorned  with  sTiells, 
in   the  midst  of    which    were   fountains  where   splashed 


THE  FESTIVAL  OP  CARDINAL  BERNIS.  289 

waters  rendered  fragrant  by  oil  of  roses  and  other  essences. 
And  ever-new  surprises,  new  grottoes  and  groves  in  those 
rich  halls  offered  themselves  to  the  eyes  of  the  beholders. 
Now  one  suddenly  found  himself  in  a  quiet  boudoir  lighted 
only  by  a  solitary  lamp,  where  the  most  artistic  engravings 
and  the  rarest  drawings  were  spread  out  upon  a  table;  then 
again  one  entered  a  hall  sparkling  with  a  thousand  lights 
and  resounding  with  music,  where  the  gayly-dressed  crowd 
undulated  in  mazy  waves ;  then  again  grottoes  opened  here 
and  there,  or  one  stepped  out  through  the  open  doors  into 
the  garden  where  one  could  enjoy  the  balsamic  coolness  of 
the  evening  in  walks  brilliantly  lighted  with  colored  lamps, 
or  listen  to  the  music  of  performers  concealed  in  the  shrub- 
bery, or,  again,  fleeing  from  the  throng  and  the  lights,  seek 
a  resting-place  upon  some  grassy  bank  or  under  some  myr- 
tle-bush, whether  for  solitary  musing  or  for  encircling  in 
sweet  and  silent  familiarity  the  waist  of  some  chosen  fair 
one  who  understanding  the  stolen  glance,  had  strayed  here 
unnoticed. 

But  the  central  point  of  the  festival  was  the  monstrous 
gigantic  hall  which  the  cardinal  had  caused  to  be  erected 
in  the  centre  of  the  garden  expressly  for  this  occasion. 
The  walls  of  muslin  and  flowers  were  held  together  by 
more  than  a  hundred  gilded  pillars,  the  girandoles  attached 
to  each  of  which  diffused  a  sea  of  light.  Silken  carpets 
covered  the  floor,  and  the  plafond  of  this  gigantic  hall  was 
formed  by  the  thousand-starred  arch  of  heaven.  Here,  also, 
niches  and  grottoes  were  everywhere  to  be  found ;  in  them 
one  could,  in  the  midst  of  the  constantly  moving  and  noisy 
crowd,  enjoy  quiet  and  repose. 


290      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AX  EMPRESS. 

Only  one  of  these  niches  was  inaccessible,  as  it  appears, 
to  the  company,  and  yet  it  was  precisely  this  which  excited 
the  curiosity  of  all,  and  which  all,  whispering,  approached, 
anxious  to  get  a  peep  behind  the  closed  thick  silken  cur- 
tains, before  which  two  richly  gallooned  servants  of  the 
cardinal  walked  back  and  forth  with  solemn  earnestness, 
but  respectfully  requesting  every  one  to  comply  with  the 
cardinal's  wishes  and  not  approach  the  mysterious  drapery, 
but  await  his  own  time  for  the  solution  of  the  enigma  !  A 
few  steps  led  up  to  this  closed  and  covered  niche ;  these 
steps  were  strewed  with  roses,  that  was  plainly  seen ;  but,  to 
what  did  these  steps  lead,  and  what  was  thus  carefully  con- 
cealed ? 

A  precious  surprise,  certainly,  for  it  was  the  forte  of  the 
cardinal  to  prepare  surprises  for  the  agreeable  entertain- 
ment of  his  guests.  The  ladies  and  gentlemen,  the  cardi- 
nals and  princes  of  the  Church,  crowded  around  him  beg- 
ging for  an  explanation  of  the  mystery,  a  disclosure  of  the 
secret. 

"  I  am  myself  uninitiated,"  said  Cardinal  Bernis,  laugh- 
ing ;  "  some  divinity  may  have  taken  a  seat  there,  or  per- 
haps it  is  a  sphinx  which  will  from  thence  give  us  the  solu- 
tion of  her  enigma.  But  let  us  see  what  belated  guests  are 
now  coming  to  us." 

And  the  cardinal  with  zealous  precipitation  approached 
the  principal  entrance  to  the  hall,  the  portihres  of  which 
had  just  been  drawn  aside,  and  behind  was  seen  Natalie  at 
the  hand  of  Paulo. 

As  if  blinded  by  the  sudden  flood  of  light,  she  stood  for 
a  moment  still,  a  purple  glow  flushing  her  delicate  cheeks, 


THE   FESTIVAL  OP  CARDINAL  BERNIS.  25)1 

and  clinging  to  Paulo's  arm,  she  whispered :  "  Protect  me, 
Paulo,  I  am  so  frightened  by  this  crowd ! " 

Just  at  that  moment  the  doorkeeper  cried  with  a  loud 
voice  :  "  Princess  Natalie  Tartaroff  and  Count  Paulo  ! " 

At  the  sound  of  these  strange  names  all  glanced  toward 
the  door,  and  all  flaming,  curious,  prying  eyes  were  fixed 
with  astonishment  and  admiration  upon  the  young  maiden. 

But  Natalie  did  not  remark  it.  She  glanced  at  Paulo 
with  a  glad  smile,  and  a  proud  happiness  beamed  from  her 
features.  She  had,  then,  a  name ;  she  was  no  longer  an 
abandoned,  nameless  orphan.  At  length  the  enigma  of  her 
birth  was  solved,  and  what  she  had  so  often  prayed  for, 
Count  Paulo  had  vouchsafed  her  as  a  surprise  to-day. 

He  had  at  the  same  time  announced  her  name  to  herself 
and  the  world,  and  she  not  only  had  a  name,  but  she  was  a 
princess ;  she  took  a  rank  in  the  company,  and  Count 
Paulo  and  Carlo  had  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  her.  But 
where  was  Carlo  ?  At  the  thought  of  him  this  feeling  of 
effervescing  pride  vanished  from  the  young  maiden's  heart  • 
she  even  forgot  that  she  was  a  princess,  to  remember  only 
that  Carlo,  her  music-teacher,  had  promised  her  to  be  pres- 
ent at  this  festival,  and  to  wonder  that  she  could  not  dis- 
cover him  in  this  gay  and  confused  assemblage. 

She  did  not  remark  that,  since  her  appearance,  a  deep 
stillness  had  supervened  in  the  hall,  that  all  eyes  were  upon 
her,  that  people  secretly  whispered  to  each  other,  and  gave 
utterance  to  murmured  expressions  of  astonishment  and  de- 
light ;  she  saw  not  how  the  beauties  here  and  there  turned 
pale  and  indignantly  bit  their  proud  lips ;  she  saw  not  how 
the  eyes  of  the  men  glowed  and  flashed,  and  what  eagerly- 


292  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

lusting  glances  the  cardinals  and  princes  of  the  Church  cast 
upon  her. 

She  was  so  unconstrained,  this  charming  child,  she  knew 
not  how  handsome  she  was.  But  she  was  to-day  of  a  won- 
derfully touching  beauty.  Like  a  white  and  delicate  lily 
stood  she  there  in  the  heavy  white  satin  robe  that  enveloped 
her  graceful  form,  and  the  brilliants  that  adorned  her  hair, 
neck,  and  arms,  shone  and  sparkled  like  sun-lighted  dew- 
drops  in  the  calyx  of  the  flower.  So  beautiful  was  she  that 
even  Cardinal  Bernis  stood  speechless  and  as  if  blinded  be- 
fore her,  finding  no  expression  for  his  joyful  surprise  and 
astonishment. 

"  Oh,"  at  length  he  smilingly  said,  with  a  low  bow,  "  I 
shall  have  to  quarrel  with  Count  Paulo !  He  promised  us 
the  presence  of  a  mortal  woman,  and  now  he  leads  into  our 
circle  a  divinity  who  must  look  down  upon  us  poor  human 
beings  with  a  smile  of  contempt." 

Natalie  smiled.  "I  know,"  said  she,  with  her  clear, 
sweet,  childish  voice — "  I  know  that  Cardinal  Bernis  is  a 
poet,  and  therefore  it  will  not  be  very  difficult  for  him  to 
change  a  young  maiden  into  a  divinity.  Nor  is  this  the 
first  time  he  has  done  so !  I  remember  a  lovely  poem  of  his, 
the  complaint  of  a  shepherd,  who  considers  the  object  of  his 
love  a  divinity  because  she  is  so  beautiful,  and  at  last  she 
proves  to  be  no  divinity,  but  on  the  contrary  a  regular  little 
quarrelsome  wrangler,  who  has  nothing  beautiful  about  her 
but  her  hands  and  face.  Take  care,  cardinal,  that  it  does 
not  prove  with  you  and  me  as  with  the  shepherd  in  your 
charming  poem ! " 

She  said  that  with  such  childish  ingenuousness,  and  in 


THE  FESTIVAL  OP  CARDINAL   BERNIS.  293 

SO  cheerful  and  jesting  a  tone,  that  the  cardinal  listened  to 
her  as  if  intoxicated,  and  with  unconcealed  admiration  he 
looked  into  that  delicate,  childishly  pure  face,  over  which 
no  trace  of  sorrow  nor  any  sigh  of  care  had  ever  yet  passed. 

Without  answering,  he  took  her  arm,  and,  beckoning 
Count  Paulo  to  his  side,  led  the  princess  to  the  circle  of 
ladies. 

Behind  those  closed  curtains  that  still  concealed  the 
mysterious  niche  it  had  meanwhile  become  stirring.  Busy 
servants  hastened  hither  and  thither,  lighting  the  lamps 
and  arranging  the  festoons  and  draperies.  It  seems  they 
had  here  erected  a  little  stage,  and  the  large  wall-picture 
that  formed  the  background  of  this  stage  bore  the  appear- 
ance of  a  decoration.  A  side  curtain,  serving  as  a  partition, 
formed  a  second  room,  which  seemed  destined  for  a  sort  of 
greenroom,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  large  and  well- 
lighted  mirror,  and  before  it  stood  a  young  woman  regard- 
ing herself  with  the  greatest  attention,  here  plucking  at  her 
dress  and  there  arranging  her  train  or  an  ornament.  She 
was  evidently  the  one  who  was  to  appear  upon  the  stage ; 
her  costume  betrayed  it.  It  was  not  the  fashionable  cos- 
tume of  the  day,  such  as  was  worn  by  the  distinguished 
ladies  of  Roman  society ;  it  was  an  ideal  Greek  dress  that 
seemed  to  have  been  made  for  the  purpose  of  displaying 
and  rendering  yet  more  voluptuous  and  enticing  the  great 
beauty  of  the  wearer. 

She  was  very  beautiful,  this  woman,  with  her  sparkling 
black  eyes  and  dark  shining  hair,  which  had  been  gathered 
into  a  Grecian  knot  behind — beautiful,  with  the  laurel- 
wreath  resting  upon  her  high  forehead — beautiful,  in  the 


294      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

transparent  Grecian  robe  which  only  so  far  concealed  the 
luxuriant  forms  of  her  full  figure  as  to  allow  them  to  be 
divined — beautiful,  with  those  full,  round,  and  entirely  un- 
covered arms,  with  their  jewelled  bracelets — beautiful,  with 
her  graceful  neck,  her  fully  exposed,  naked  shoulders,  and 
her  voluptuously  swelling  bosom. 

She  was,  in  her  appearance,  a  Greek,  only  her  face  was 
not  Grecian.  It  was  wanting  in  the  noble  forms,  the  still 
cheerfulness  and  repose  of  Grecian  beauty,  modest  even  in 
its  voluptuousness.  It  was  only  the  face  of  a  sensual  and 
passionate  Roman  woman,  and  no  Lais  would  have  ventured 
such  a  smile  as  played  upon  the  dark-red  lips  of  this  Roman 
woman,  or  such  glowing  glances  as  she  shot  like  arrows 
from  her  dark  eyes. 

Standing  before  the  glass,  she  viewed  herself,  her  lips 
murmuring  low  words,  occasionally  turning  her  eyes  from 
the  mirror  to  the  little  table  standing  near  it,  upon  which 
lay  several  open  books. 

What  murmured  she,  and  what  read  she  in  those  books  ? 
Singular!  she  was  uttering  single,  isolated,  unconnected 
words,  which  had  nothing  in  common  with  each  other  but 
the  sound  of  melody ;  they  were  rhymes,  but  without  con- 
nection or  sense,  without  inward  mental  correlation. 

"  So,"  she  now  said  to  herself,  with  a  satisfied  smile,  "  I 
am  now  perfectly  armed  and  prepared.  All  these  rhymes 
of  Tasso  and  Petrarch  are  now  implanted  in  my  mind  and 
ready  for  use,  and  I  have  not  to  fear  embarrassment  in  re- 
peating any  of  them.  Ah,  they  shall  admire  me,  these  good 
Romans.  I  will  animate  and  inflame  them,  and  excite  all 
my  enamored  cardinals  to  such  an  ecstasy  that  they  must 


THE   FESTIVAL  OF  CARDINAL   BERNIS.  295 

filially  prevail  upon  the  silly,  obstinate  old  pope  against  his 
own  will  to  fulfil  my  only  desire.  I  will  attain  my  end, 
even  if  I  am  compelled  to  pawn  my  honor  and  my  salvation 
for  it !  Bah !  honor ;  what  can  honor  be  to  a  woman  ? 
Beauty  is  our  honor,  further  nothing!  And  fair,  it  seems 
to  me,  I  yet  am !  And  if  I  am  fair,"  she  more  glowingly 
continued,  after  a  pause,  "  how  comes  it  that  Carlo  has 
ceased  to  love  me  ?  Ah,  the  false  one,  to  betray  and  desert 
me  when  I  love  him  most !  " 

A  dark  flush  of  anger  now  overspread  her  cheeks,  and 
threateningly  raising  her  hands,  with  compressed  lips  she 
continued :  "'  And  to  desert  me  for  another  woman — me, 
the  pride  and  delight  of  all  Rome ;  me,  whom  all  the  princes 
and  cardinals  worship  !  Ah,  while  thousands  lie  at  my  feet, 
imploring  for  a  glance  or  a  smile,  this  little,  unknown  singer 
dares  to  scorn  me  and  deride  my  love  ! " 

"  And  why  should  he  not  dare  it  ?  "  asked  a  voice  behind 
her,  and  the  face  of  a  young  man  became  visible. 

"Carlo!"  she  cried,  hastening  to  meet  him  with  out- 
spread arms. 

He  almost  ungently  checked  her.  "  You  forget,"  said 
he, "  that  this  little,  insignificant,  and  unknown  singer  loves 
you  no  longer,  Gorilla !  Grant,  then,  henceforth  to  the 
thousands  who  languish  at  your  feet  a  few  of  your  enticing 
smiles  and  glowing  glances — I  have  nothing  against  it,  and 
am  not  at  all  jealous  ! " 

"  But  you  should  be  ! "  cried  she,  stamping  her  feet  with 
rage.  "  I  tell  you  I  will  not  suffer  you  to  leave  me ;  I  will 
be  loved  by  you,  and  no  one  shall  you  dare  to  look  at,  and 
no  one  shall  you  dare  to  love,  but  me  alone." 


296  THE   DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Carlo  broke  out  into  a  scornful  laugh,  and  then  seriously 
and  proudly  said :  "  I  am  a  Neapolitan,  and  with  us  men  do 
not  allow  themselves  to  be  constrained  to  love,  and  no  wom- 
an there  dares  utter  the  command,  'Thou  shalt  love  me ! ' — 
I  will  not,  Signora  Gorilla  !  " 

"  You  will  not ! "  screamed  she,  gnashing  her  teeth, 
"  Then  woe  to  you  and  to  her !  " 

"  I  fear  no  serpents  !  "  said  Carlo,  laughing,  "  and  if  an 
adder  attempts  to  sting  me,  I  tread  it  under  foot !  " 

"  But  fear  at  least  for  her  you  love  !  "  she  threateningly 
said.  "  Oh,  you  think  I  shall  not  be  able  to  discover  this 
secret  love  of  yours,  and  not  spy  out  this  new  divinity  to 
whom  you  have  consecrated  your  heart?  Tremble  there- 
fore now,  for  I  know  her !  I  know  the  garden  in  which  she 
lives,  and  there  is  a  place  in  the  wall  just  opposite  her  favor- 
ite seat ;  whoever  knows  that  place  and  possesses  a  steady 
hand  and  a  sharp  dagger  will  know  how  to  hurl  it  so  as  to 
pierce  her  bosom." 

Carlo  felt  a  deadly  terror,  he  felt  his  heart  stand  still, 
but  he  collected  himself  and  said,  with  a  contemptuous 
smile  :  "  Cardinal  Francesco  Albani  indeed  possesses  among 
his  bravi  many  such  skilful  hands,  and  surely  it  will  not 
require  many  of  your  highly-prized  glances  to  induce  him 
to  favor  you  with  the  loan  of  one  of  them." 

The  signora  slightly  bit  her  lips.  "  You  mock  me,"  she 
almost  sadly  said,  "  and  yet  you  should  remember  that  it  is 
only  love  that  makes  me  so  savage  and  fills  my  heart  with  a 
thirst  for  vengeance  !     Carlo,  I  so  warmly  love  you  ! " 

And  the  beautiful,  glowing  woman  humbly  and  implor- 
ingly bent  before  her  beloved. 


THE  FESTIVAL  OP  CARDINAL   BERNIS.  297 

The  latter  laughingly  said :  "  How  well  you  know  how 
to  say  that — with  what  variations  and  modulations !  I  yes- 
terday heard  you  say  the  same  to  Cardinal  Albani;  to  be 
sure,  it  sounded  a  little  different,  but  not  less  warm  and 
glowing ! " 

"  You  know  why  I  do  that !  "  said  she.  "  He  is  an  en- 
amored fool,  whom  I  would  win  with  tender  words  that  I 
may  make  him  my  instrument.  You  know  the  object  for 
which  I  strive,  and  which  I  must  attain  at  any  price  !  Ah, 
Carlo,  when  once  they  have  crowned  me  in  the  capitol,  then, 
I  am  sure,  you  will  be  compelled  to  love  me  again ! " 

"  Never  again  ! "  he  harshly  and  roughly  said. 

"  Is  that  your  last  word  ? "  shrieked  she,  with  flashing 
eyes  and  the  wild  rage  of  a  tigress. 

"  It  is  my  last  word  !  " 

She  flew  to  him  like  a  mad  person,  seized  his  hands 
and  fixedly  stared  him  in  the  face. 

"  Ungrateful !  "  said  she,  gnashing  her  teeth.  "  Is  it 
thus  you  reward  my  love,  is  this  your  return  for  all  I  have 
done  for  you?  Can  you  forget  that  it  was  I  who  withdrew 
you  from  poverty  and  baseness  ?  What  were  you  but  a 
poor,  unnoticed  singer  in  the  streets,  on  whom  people  be- 
stowed scanty  alms  ?  "Was  it  not  I  who  rescued  you  from 
that  shame,  and  clothed  you  and  gave  you  a  home  ?  Was 
it  not  I  who  gave  you  a  name  and  procured  you  consider- 
ation and  respect  by  making  you  my  singer  and  companion, 
and  allowing  you  to  play  upon  the  harp  at  my  improvisa- 
tions ?  How  has  not  all  Rome  admired  you  when  you  sang 
the  canzones  I  wrote  for  you,  thereby  procuring  you  honor 

and  respectability,  and  making  you  a  popular  man  from  a 
20 


298      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

low  beggar?  Go,  you  cannot  leave  me,  for  you  are  my 
creature,  my  property ! " 

He  wildly  thrust  her  aside,  and  his  eyes  flashed  with  in- 
dignation. "  Signora,"  said  he,  his  lips  tremulous  with 
rage,  "  you  have  rent  the  last  band  that  bound  me  to  you, 
and  in  twitting  me  of  your  benefits  you  have  annihilated 
them  \  We  now  have  nothing  in  common  with  each  other, 
except  perhaps  mutual  hatred,  and  that,  I  hope,  will  have 
a  longer  duration  than  our  love!" 

And  Carlo  turned  toward  the  door.  Gorilla  rushed 
after  him  with  an  exclamation  ol  terror. 

"  You  will  leave  me  now  ! "  cried  she,  with  anguish, "  now, 
in  this  hour  when  you  are  so  indispensable  to  me  ?  now, 
when  I  am  to  celebrate  a  new  triumph  before  this  notable 
assembly  ?  when  all  eyes  are  expectantly  turned  to  the  cur- 
tain behind  which  I  am  to  appear  ?  No,  no,  Garlo,  from 
compassion  remain  with  me  only  one  "hour,  only  this  even- 
ing!" 

Garlo  smiled  contemptuously.  "I  will  remain,"  said 
he,  "  for  I  have  promised  her  that  she  shall  hear  you  ! " 

'*  She  has  therefore  come  ? "  cried  Gorilla,  with  an  out- 
burst of  joy. 

"  She  is  now  here,"  he  laconically  said. 

Gorilla  no  longer  listened  to  him,  she  walked  back  and 
forth  with  a  triumphant  mien,  a  cruel,  malicious  smile  play- 
ing upon  her  lips. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  slight  knock  at  the  door, 
which  was  opened,  and  a  man  who  appeared  upon  the 
threshold  glanced  into  the  room  with  a  grinning  laugh. 

Gorilla  gave  him  a  sign,  and  at  the  same  time  pointed 


THE  FESTIVAL  OP  CARDINAL  BERNIS.  299 

at  Carlo,  who,  having  turned  his  back  toward  her,  seemed 
to  have  no  suspicion  of  what  was  occurring  behind  him. 
But  he  saw  it,  nevertheless,  in  the  tall  mirror  that  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  room ;  he  saw  Gorilla  make  signs  of  intel- 
ligence with  that  man  who  was  in  the  livery  of  Cardinal 
Francesco  Albani ;  he  saw  the  man  make  answer  with  his 
fingers,  and  then  draw  forth  a  dagger,  which  he  threaten- 
ingly swung  over  his  head. 

Oh,  Carlo  had  very  well  understood  what  that  man  said, 
as  he  also  did  that  language  of  the  fingers,  the  much-used 
language  of  the  Romans  and  Neapolitans. 

The  man  had  said :  "  She  is  here,  that  beautiful  lady ! 
She  can  no  longer  escape  us  ! " 

"  You  will  strike  her  ?  "  had  Cprilla  asked. 

The  man  had  swung  the  dagger  over  his  head  and  held 
up  two  fingers  of  his  right  hand.  That  signified :  "  In  two 
hours  she  will  be  dead." 

"  Good !  you  shall  be  satisfied  with  me,"  had  been  Go- 
rilla's answer. 

The  door  was  again  closed.  Gorilla  turned  smiling  to 
Carlo,  her  former  rancor  seemed  to  have  vanished ;  she 
was  in  high  spirits. 

"  Carlo,"  said  she,  "  how  good  you  are  not  to  leave  me ! 
Let  us  now  begin.  I  feel  myself  glowing  with  inspira- 
tion. Ah,  I  shall  enrapture  these  good  Romans,  I 
think!" 

"  How  long  will  this  improvisation  last  ?  "  Carlo  gruffly 
asked. 

"  Well,  one  or  two  "hours,  according  to  the  delight  we 
give  our  public." 


300  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  If  this  farce  continues  longer  than  an  hour  and  a  half, 
I  shall  throw  down  my  harp  and  go  away,"  said  Carlo,  in 
a  tone  of  severity.  "  I  swear  it  to  you  by  the  spirit  of  my 
mother !  Remember  it ;  I  shall  show  you  the  time  every 
quarter  of  an  hour." 

"  You  are  a  tyrant,"  said  she,  laughing.  "  But  I  sup- 
pose I  must  submit.  Give,  therefore,  the  signal  that  we  are 
ready." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE   IMPROVISATRICE. 

All  the  guests  of  the  cardinal  were  assembled  in  the 
gigantic  hall,  and  all  eyes  were  anxiously  bent  upon  the 
mysterious  curtain,  which  still  remained  closed. 

Now  resounded  a  little  bell,  and  Cardinal  Bernis  smil- 
ingly turned  to  Natalie,  who  sat  by  his  side. 

"  I  think  this  mystery  is  about  to  be  unveiled,"  said  he. 

"And  I  am  quite  anxious  about  it,"  said  the  young 
maiden,  gracefully  laying  her  hand  upon  her  heart.  My 
heart  beats  as  violently  as  if  a  mystery  were  about  to  be 
unveiled  in  my  own  breast.  Do  you  believe  in  presenti- 
ments, Sir  Cardinal  ?  " 

Bernis  had  not  time  to  answer  her.  Just  at  that  mo- 
ment the  curtain  drew  up,  a  general  "  Ah  !  "  of  admiration 
was  heard,  and,  suddenly  carried  away  by  their  feelings,  the 
whole  audience  broke  into  extravagant  and  long-enduring 
applause,  crying  and  shouting,  "  Evviva  Corilla !  Vimpro- 
visatrice  Corilla ! " 


THE  IMPROVISATRICE.  301 

And  in  fact  it  was  an  admirable  picture  which  was 
there  presented  to  the  audience.  Those  flower-strewed 
steps  led  up  to  an  altar,  upon  the  centre  of  which,  be- 
tween wreaths  of  flowers,  shot  up  two  dark-red  flames. 
Against  that  altar  leaned,  exalted  and  august  as  a  Grecian 
priestess,  the  improvisatrice  Gorilla.  Her  eyes  raised  to 
the  heavens,  her  features  lighted  up  with  a  rosy  glow  by 
the  red  flames,  her  half -raised  right  arm  resting  upon  an 
urn,  while  her  left  arm  was  stretched  upward  toward 
heaven,  she  thus  resembled  an  inspired  priestess,  just  re- 
ceiving a  message  from  on  high,  listening  with  ecstasy, 
with  suppressed  breath  and  parted  lips,  to  the  voice  of  the 
Deity,  and  forgetting  the  world  in  a  blissful  intoxication, 
she  seemed  about  to  take  her  flight  to  the  empyrean ! 

And  while  Gorilla,  as  if  absorbed  in  spiritual  contem- 
plation, continued  to  stand  immovable  there,  began  the  low 
notes  of  a  harp,  which,  gradually  becoming  fuller  and 
stronger,  at  length  resounded  in  powerfully  rushing  and 
exultant  tones.  From  Gorilla  all  eyes  were  now  turned  upon 
Garlo,  who,  in  the  light  dress  of  a  Greek  youth,  his  harp 
upon  his  arm,  was  leaning  against  a  pomegranate  tree 
placed  in  the  background  of  the  stage,  and  with  his  pale, 
serious  face,  with  his  noble,  manly  features,  formed  a 
beautiful  contrast  to  the  inspired  and  love-beaming  priest- 
ess Gorilla. 

Natalie,  feeling  something  like  a  slight  puncture  in  her 
heart,  involuntarily  carried  her  hand  to  her  bosom.  It  was 
a  strange,  a  wonderful  feeling,  which  stirred  within  her, 
partly  partaking  of  joy  at  seeing  and  hearing  her  friend 
Carlo,  as  people  were  murmuring  praises  of  his  beauty,  and 


302  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

of  his  great  skill  upon  the  harp,  and  partly  a  feeling  of 
painful  emotion.  She  knew  not  why,  but  as  her  glance 
met  his,  it  quickly  turned  toward  Gorilla,  and  quite  sadly 
she  said  to  herself :  "  She  is  much  handsomer  than  I !  " 

Carlo  now  opened  his  lips,  and  to  a  beautifully  simple 
melody  he  sweetly  sang  an  introductory  song,  as  it  were  to 
prepare  the  audience  for  the  coming  solemnity.  Having 
finished  this,  two  lovely  amourettes  came  forward,  with  sil- 
ver vases  in  their  hands,  and  hastened  down  the  steps  to 
the  audience,  politely  requesting  them  to  furnish  themes 
for  the  great  improvisatrice  Gorilla. 

Then,  returning  to  the  altar,  they  threw  into  the  urn 
the  small  scraps  of  paper  on  which  the  guests  had  proposed 
themes.  The  harp  again  resounded,  and  with  a  solemn 
earnestness,  her  face  and  glance  still  directed  upward,  Go- 
rilla drew  one  of  the  little  strips  of  paper  from  the  urn. 
Accident,  or  perhaps  her  own  dexterity,  had  favored  her. 

"  Sappho's  lament  before  throwing  herself  from  the 
rocks  " — that  was  the  theme  proposed. 

Gorilla's  face  immediately  took  an  expression  of  sad- 
nelss ;  her  eyes  flashed  with  an  unnatural  fire ;  her  previous- 
ly raised  arm  fell  powerless  by  her  side ;  her  head,  like  a 
broken  rose,  sank  upon  her  breast ;  her  other  hand  convul- 
sively grasped  the  urn,  and  in  this  position  she  in  fact  re- 
sembled an  abandoned  mourner,  weeping  over  the  ashes  of 
her  lost  happiness.  She  was  now  the  repudiated  and  for- 
saken one  who,  ready  to  resign  her  life,  was  brooding  upon 
thoughts  of  death.  And  while  her  face  took  this  expres- 
sion, and  she,  staring  upon  the  earth  before  her,  seemed 
to  be  meditating  upon  irremediable  fate,  thought  Gorilla ; 


THE  IMPROVISATRICE.  303 

"  This  is  a  charming  theme  which  the  good  Cardinal  Albani 
has  thrown  into  the  urn  for  me.  I  found  it  directly  by  the 
small  pin  which,  according  to  his  promise,  he  inserted  in 
the  paper.  This  cardinal  is  an  agreeable  imp,  and  I  must 
give  him  a  kiss  for  his  complaisance.  Besides,  the  Tasso 
rhyme  will  here  be  the  most  appropriate  ! " 

Again  she  directed  her  gaze,  with  a  gloomy  expression, 
toward  the  heavens,  and  with  a  violently  heaving  bosom, 
with  feverishly  flitting  breath,  she  began  the  lament  of 
Sappho.  Now  like  rattling  thunder,  now  like  the  gentle 
breathings  of  the  flute,  rolled  this  sweet  and  picturesque 
language  of  Italy  from  her  lips — like  music  sounded  those 
full,  artistic  rhymes,  of  which  but  few  of  the  hearers  had 
the  least  suspicion  that  they  came  from  Tasso.  To  im- 
provise in  the  Italian  language  is  an  easy  and  a  grateful 
task !  What  wonder,  then,  that  Gorilla  acquitted  herself 
so  charmingly?  The  audience  paid  no  attention  to  the 
thoughts  expressed ;  they  asked  not  after  the  quintessence  ; 
they  were  satisfied  with  the  agreeable  sound,  without  in- 
quiring into  the  sense  of  her  words;  it  was  their  melody 
which  was  admired.  They  listened  not  for  the  thought, 
but  only  for  the  rhyme,  and  with  ecstatic  smiles  and  admir- 
ing glances  they  nodded  to  each  other  when,  thanks  to  the 
studies  which  Gorilla  had  made  in  Tasso,  Marino,  and 
Ariosto,  she  seemed  of  herself  to  find  rhymes  for  the  most 
difficult  words. 

An  immense  storm  of  applause  resounded  when  she 
ended ;  and  as  if  awakening  from  an  intoxicating  ecstasy, 
Gorilla  glanced  around  with  an  expression  of  astonishment 
on  her  features;   she  looked  around  as  if  she  knew  not 


304       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRKSS. 

whence  she  came,  and  in  wliat  strange  surroundings  she 
now  found  herself. 

After  a  short  pause,  which  Carlo  filled  out  with  his 
harp,  she  again  put  her  hand  into  the  urn  and  drew  out  a 
new  theme ;  again  the  inspiration  seemed  to  pass  over  her, 
and  the  holy  Whitsuntide  of  her  muse  to  be  renewed. 
Constantly  more  and  more  stormily  resounded  the  plaudits 
of  her  hearers ;  it  was  like  a  continued  thunder  of  enthu- 
siasm, a  real  salvo  of  joy.  It  animated  Corilla  to  new  im- 
provisations ;  she  again  and  again  recurred  to  the  urn, 
drawing  forth  new  themes,  and  seemed  to  be  absolutely 
inexhaustible. 

"  It  is  now  enough,"  whispered  Carlo,  just  as  she  had 
drawn  forth  a  new  theme.  "  You  have  but  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  left!" 

"  Only  this  theme  yet,"  she  begged  in  a  low  tone.  "  It 
is  a  very  happy  one,  it  will  win  for  me  the  hearts  of  all 
these  cardinals  and  gentlemen !  " 

"  Yet  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  then  your  time  is  up," 
said  he.     "  Eemember  my  oath,  I  shall  keep  my  word  !  " 

An  inexplicable  anxiety,  a  tormenting  uneasiness,  came 
over  him ;  he  had  hardly  strength  and  recollection  suffi- 
cient to  enable  him  to  accompany  Corilla,  who  was  discuss- 
ing in  verse  the  question,  "  Which  Rome  was  the  happiest, 
ancient  or  modern  ?  " 

Carlo's  eyes,  fixed  and  motionless,  rested  upon  Natalie  ; 
it  fearfully  alarmed  him  not  to  be  near  her,  not  to  be  able 
to  watch  every  one  of  her  steps,  every  one  of  her  motions ; 
it  seemed  to  him  as  if  he  saw  that  savage  man  with  his 
naked  dagger  lurking  near  her !    And  she,  was  she  not  pale 


THE  IMPROVISATRICE.  305 

as  a  lily ;  seemed  she  not,  in  that  white  robe,  to  be  already 
the  bride  of  death  ? 

"  I  must  hasten  to  her,  I  must  protect  her  or  die ! " 
thought  he,  and,  with  a  threatening  glance  at  Gorilla,  he 
showed  her  the  hour.  Gorilla  read  in  the  expression  of  his 
face  that  he  was  in  earnest  with  his  threat,  and  as  if  her 
inspiration  lent  wings  to  her  words,  she  spoke  on  as  in  a 
storm  of  inward  agitation,  and  with  words  of  fire  she  de- 
cided that  modern  Rome  was  the  happiest,  as  she  had  the 
holy  father  of  Ghristendom,  her  pope,  and  his  cardinals ! 

The  applause,  the  general  delight,  was  now  unbounded ; 
cardinals  were  to  be  seen  weeping  with  enthusiasm  and 
joy;  others  with  heartfelt  emotion  were  showering  words 
of  blessing  upon  the  improvisatrice,  and  all  pressed  toward 
the  tribune  in  order  to  accompany  her  down  the  steps  and 
in  among  the  company. 

A  sudden  thought  of  rescue  had  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning arisen  in  Carlo's  soul. 

"Natalie  must  first  be  completely  separated  from  this 
society,  and  then  I  will  seek  this  man  and  render  him  in- 
capable of  mischief  !  "  thought  he. 

By  main  strength  he  made  himself  a  path  through  the 
crowd  surrounding  Gorilla,  and  now  stood  near  Cardinal 
Bernis,  at  whose  side  still  remained  Natalie  and  Count 
Paulo. 

"  You  have  struck  the  lyre  like  an  Apollo,"  exclaimed 
the  cardinal  to  the  singer. 

Carlo  bowed  with  a  smile,  and  hastily  said :  "  And  are 
you  ignorant,  your  eminence,  that  a  much  greater  poetess 
and  improvisatrice  than  our  Gorilla  is  in  your  society  ?  " 


306  THE   DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

The  cardinal  smilingly  threatened  him  with  his  finger. 
"  Poor  Carlo,  has  it  already  come  to  this  ?  "  said  he.  "  You 
are  jealous  of  our  delight  in  Gorilla,  and  would  lessen  her 
fame,  that  you  may  make  her  more  your  own  !  " 

"  I  speak  the  truth,"  said  Carlo ;  "  a  poetess  is  among 
us  whom  the  muses  themselves  have  consecrated,  an  im- 
provisatrice,  not  of  human  composition,  but  by  the  grace 
of  God,  to  whom  the  angels  whisper  the  rhymes,  and  the 
muses  the  ideas !  " 

"  And  who,  then,  is  this  divinely-gifted  artist,  this  con- 
secrated daughter  of  the  muses?"  wonderingly  asked  the 
cardinal. 

Carlo  indicated  Natalie,  and  bowed  to  the  ground  be- 
fore her. 

"  Princess  Tartaroff  ? "  asked  the  cardinal,  with  aston- 
ishment. 

"  That  she  is  a  princess,  I  know  not,"  said  Carlo,  "  but  I 
am  quite  certain  she  is  a  poetess !  " 

What  was  it  that  at  this  moment  stirred  the  soul  of  the 
young  maiden  ?  She  now  felt  a  pride,  a  blessed  joy,  and 
yet  she  had  previously  felt  so  sad  at  Corilla's  triumph !  It 
seemed  as  if  enthusiasm  raised  its  wings  in  her,  as  if  the 
word,  the  right  word,  pressed  to  her  lips,  as  if  sbe  must 
utter  in  song  her  rejoicings  and  lamentings  for  her  simul- 
taneously felt  pleasures  and  pains!  A  pure  and  genuine 
child  of  Nature,  she  felt  in  herself  the  natural  impulse  to 
pour  out  in  words,  tones,  and  even  in  tears,  what  agitated 
her  soul,  and  to  which  she  was  unable  to  give  a  name. 

Cardinal  Bernis  had  first  turned  imploringly  to  Count 
Paulo,  praying   for   his  permission   to  invite  the   young 


THE  IMPROVISATRICE.  307 

princess  to  surprise  and  delight  the  company  with  some  of 
her  improvisations.  Others,  overhearing  this,  mingled  in 
the  conversation,  and  added  their  requests  to  those  of  the 
cardinal ;  and,  the  feeling  becoming  general,  the  requests 
for  an  improvisation  became  universal  and  pressing ;  peo- 
ple, momentarily  forgetting  the  great  and  celebrated  im- 
provisatrice  Gorilla,  with  a  feverish  curiosity  turned  to  the 
new  and  unknown  star.  Gorilla  stood  almost  alone — only 
Gardinal  Albani  remaining  by  her  side;  but  his  tender 
words  were  not  competent  to  appease  the  violent  storm  of 
jealousy  that  raged  in  her  soul. 

The  solicitations  of  the  curious  Romans  became  con- 
stantly more  urgent,  and  Gount  Paulo,  unable  longer  to 
resist  them,  finally  consented  to  leave  the  decision  to  his 
ward,  the  young  princess  herself. 

And  Natalie?  She  was  so  real  and  ingenuous  a  child  of 
Nature  that  she  felt  no  timidity  in  the  presence  of  this 
crowd ;  she  was  so  full  of  faith  and  confidence,  so  full  of 
trust  and  human  love.  She  thought :  "  Why  should  I  not 
give  a  little  pleasure  to  these  good  people  who  approach  me 
with  such  warm  sympathies?  And  why  should  I  tremble 
before  them  ?  Did  not  Paulo  tell  me  that  I  should  feel  as 
if  I  were  in  my  garden,  and  it  was  only  my  trees  and  flowers 
that  were  looking  at  me  with  human  faces?  Well,  then,  I 
will  so  think  and  feel,  and  speak  only  to  my  dear  trees  and 
flowers ! " 

Beckoning  Carlo  with  a  charming  smile,  guided  by  his 
hand,  she  hastily  ascended  the  steps.  Ai)d  as  they  saw  her 
there  upon  the  stage,  this  delicate,  lovely  maiden — as  they 
looked  upon  her  spiritual  maiden  beauty,  with  the  childlike 


308  'l'»E  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

expression  of  her  noble  features,  with  eyes  that  beamed  with 
pleasure  and  inspiration — there  arose  such  a  storm  of  ap- 
plause that  Natalie  slightly  trembled,  and  with  a  sweet 
smile  she  said  to  Carlo :  "  The  people  here  are  muph  more 
boisterous  than  the  zephyrs  in  our  garden,  but  they  are  not 
so  melodious,  and  it  almost  saddens  the  heart ! " 

Cardinal  Bernis  now  approached  with  the  silver  vase. 
On  this  occasion  he  had  taken  it  upon  himself  to  collect 
the  themes,  and  with  a  respectful  bow  he  handed  them  to 
the  princess.  With  a  gracious  smile  she  took  one  of  the 
papers  and  unfolded  it.  The  subject  given  was,  "  Longing 
for  home." 

That  was  a  theme  well  calculated  to  inspire  Natalie,  and 
to  reawaken  in  her  all  her  longings,  sorrows,  loves,  and  re- 
membrances. She  suddenly  felt  something  like  a  cold 
shudder  in  her  heart,  and  glancing  around  with  a  feeling 
of  solitude  and  desertion,  she  saw  nothing  but  curious  faces 
and  strange,  staring  eyes !  She,  also,  was  repudiated  and 
homeless,  and  an  excessive  longing  for  the  distant  unknown 
home  of  her  childhood  now  took  possession  of  her. 

Perhaps  Carlo  had  read  her  thoughts  upon  her  brow ; 
low  and  plaintive  melodies  poured  from  his  harp,  as  it  were 
the  rustling  murmurs  of  far-off  remembrances,  the  sighing 
and  sobbing  of  a  yearning  heart.  And  Natalie,  carried 
away  by  these  tones,  forgetful  of  all  around  her,  mindful 
only  of  the  happiness  of  her  childhood  and  of  the  lady  she 
had  so  dearly  loved,  began  to  sing. 

Of  what  she  said  and  what  "she  sang  she  was  uncon- 
scious. She  stood  there  as  if  elevated  by  inward  inspira- 
tion ;  her  eyes  flashed  as  she  stared  into  the  far  distance, 


THE   IMPROVISATRICE.  309 

and  the  images  she  saw  there  caused  her  to  smile  and  weep 
at  the  same  time ;  all  the  glow,  all  the  childlike  purity  of 
her  soul,  came  in  words  from  her  lips  in  a  stream  of  inspira- 
tion, of  painful  ecstasy ! 

She  saw  nothing,  heard  nothing !  She  saw  not  the 
ladies  weeping  with  emotion,  not  the  rapturous  glances  of 
the  men ;  she  had  entirely  forgotten  all  those  strange,  un- 
known people ;  and  when  the  constantly  increasing  storm 
of  applause  finally  reminded  her  of  them,  it  was  all  over 
with  her  inspiration — the  words  died  upon  her  lips,  and 
with  a  sad  smile  she  hastened  the  conclusion. 

And  now  arose  a  shout  and  an  outbreak  of  rapture 
which  caused  Natalie  to  tremble  with  anxious  timidity. 
She  cast  a  searching  glance  around  her ;  it  seemed  to  her 
that  Paulo  must  come  to  her  relief,  that  he  must  rescue  and 
redeem  her  from  the  enthusiastic  and  flattering  men  who 
surrounded  her.  She  saw  him  not !  Where  was  Paulo, 
where  was  Carlo?  These  inquisitive  lord  cardinals  had 
formed  a  circle  around  her,  she  seemed  to  herself  a  pris- 
oner ;  it  alarmed  her  to  thus  find  herself  the  central  point 
of  all  these  attractions. 

Not  far  from  her  stood  Gorilla,  with  glowing  cheeks  and 
anger-flashing  eyes. 

"  I  will  avenge  this  affront  or  die ! "  thought  she,  as, 
grasping  Albani's  hand  with  convulsive  violence,  she  whis- 
pered to  him  :  "  Free  me  from  this  woman,  and  I  will  realize 
all  your  wishes." 

Francesco  Albani  smiled.  "  Then  you  are  mine.  Gorilla, 
and  no  power  on  earth  shall  take  you  from  me.  That  child 
is  dead.     See,  see  how  she  makes  herself  a  path  through  the 


310  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

crowd — ah,  it  is  too  sultry  for  her  here  in  the  hall,  she 
approaches  the  garden  door,  she  slips  out.  Ah,  give  me 
your  hand,  Gorilla.  Yet  a  few  moments  and  the  fairest 
woman  on  earth  is  mine  ! " 

Light  as  a  gazelle,  timid  and  trembling,  Natalie  had  fled 
the  crowd,  and  now,  stepping  out  into  the  garden,  she 
breathed  easier,  it  seeming  to  her  that  she  had  escaped  a 
danger. 

"  This  night  air  will  cool  and  refresh  me,  and  I  shall 
soon  succeed  in  finding  Paulo,"  thought  she,  constantly 
wandering  farther  and  farther  into  the  garden.  But  the 
brightness  of  the  illuminated  alleys  annoyed  her.  A  more 
obscure  and  secluded  path  opening,  Natalie  entered  it.  Ah, 
she  needed  solitude  and  stillness,  and  what  knew  she,  this 
simple,  harmless  child  of  Nature — what  knew  she  whether 
it  was  proper  and  seemly  for  a  young  woman  thus  alone  to 
venture  into  these  dark  walks?  She  knew  not  that  she 
incurred  any  risk,  or  that  one  needed  protection  among 
people ! 

Even  farther  resounded  the  noise  of  the  festival — the 
clang  of  the  music  sounded  fainter  and  fainter.  Natalie 
wandered  farther  and  farther,  happy  because  alone  ! 

Alone?  What,  then,  was  it  that  noiselessly  and  cau- 
tiously haunted  her  steps,  following  every  movement  she 
made,  constantly  nearing  her  the  farther  she  found  herself, 
as  she  supposed,  from  all  other  living  beings  ?  "What  was 
it  inaudibly  creeping  through  the  bushes,  even  its  dark 
shadow  imperceptible,  that  followed  her  like  a  ghost? 

It  became  stiller  and  stiller,  and  nearer  crept  the  gloomy 
form  that  lurked  in  her  steps.     Now  with  a  sudden  spring 


THE   IMPROVISATRICE.  311 

he  rushes  upon  the  maiden.  What  gleams  in  his  hand? 
It  is  a  dagger.  He  swings  it  high,  that  he  may  sink  it 
deep.  Then  some  one  rushes  from  the  bushes,  seizes  the 
murderer's  arm,  wrests  the  dagger  from  his  hand,  hurls 
him  to  the  earth,  and  a  dear,  well-known  voice  cries  :  "  Fly, 
Natalie,  fly  quickly  to  Count  Paulo !  This  serpent  will  no 
longer  follow  you  !     I  have  him  fast,  the  assassin  !  " 

And  Carlo  broke  out  into  a  happy  and  triumphant 
laugh. 

Natalie  made  no  answer,  she  was  paralyzed  with  terror ; 
there  was  a  roaring  in  her  ears,  it  darkened  before  her  eyes, 
and  she  fell  senseless  to  the  earth ! 

But  her  disarmed  murderer  sought  to  free  himself  from 
Carlo's  grasp.  Struggling  with  his  captor,  he  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  half  rising.  Carlo  thought  not  of  his  own  danger, 
but  only  of  Natalie's,  and  it  was  only  on  her  account  that 
he  now  loudly  called  for  help,  at  the  same  time  exerting  a 
superhuman  strength  to  hold  on  upon  his  prisoner. 

Voices  were  heard,  lights  approached,  and  Paulo's  cry  of 
anguish  resounded. 

"  Here,  here ! "  anxiously  cried  Carlo,  his  strength  al- 
ready beginning  to  fail  him.  And  his  call  being  recognized, 
people  soon  came  with  lights.  Count  Paulo  was  already 
distinguishable,  already  Cardinal  Bernis,  with  a  light  in  his 
hand,  was  hastening  on  in  advance  of  the  rest. 

With  a  last  pawerful  effort  the  prisoner  succeeded  in 
freeing  himself. 

"  She  is  saved  for  this  time,  but  my  dagger  will  yet 
make  her  acquaintance ! "  said  he,  with  a  scornful  laugh, 
and  like  a  serpent  he  glided  away  among  the  bushes. 


312      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  She  is  saved ! "  cried  Carlo,  sinking  back  toward 
Count  Paulo,  and  pointing  with  a  happy  smile  to  Natalie, 
who,  awaking  from  her  momentary  stupefaction,  stretched 
forth  lier  arms  toward  the  count. 

"  Paulo,"  she  whispered  low,  "  let  us  hasten  from  here  ! 
I  dread  these  people  !  I  fear  them  !  Let  us  go  !  But  take 
him  with  us,  that  they  may  not  kill  him,  my  saviour,  my 
friend  Carlo ! " 


CHAPTEK  XXXII. 

THE    DEPARTURE. 

The  morning  dawned.  Count  Paulo  rose  from  the 
arm-chair  in  which  he  had  passed  the  night.  He  had  oc- 
cupied the  whole  fearfully  anxious  night  in  writing;  he 
now  laid  the  pen  aside  and  stood  up. 

His  face  had  an  expression  of  firmness  and  decision  ;  he 
had  formed  a  firm  resolution,  had  come  to  an  irrevocable 
determination. 

With  a  firm  step  advancing  to  the  door  opening  into 
the  adjoining  chamber,  he  called  to  his  friend  Cecil. 

The  latter  immediately  made  his  appearance,  and,  enter- 
ing the  count's  chamber,  laconically  said  :  "  All  is  ready." 

Count  Paulo  smiled  sadly.  "  You  are  then  sure  there 
are  no  other  means  of  saving  her  and  ourselves?"  he 
asked. 

"  None  whatever,"  said  Cecil.  "  Every  moment's  delay 
increases  her  and  your  danger.  The  occurrence  of  last 
night  is  a  proof  of  it.     They  sought  the  death  of  Natalie — 


THE  DEPARTURE.  313 

without  Carlo's  help  she  would  have  been  murdered,  and 
all  our  plans  would  have  come  to  an  end." 

"  Her  life  is  threatened,  and  yet  you  can  urge  me  to  go 
and  leave  her  here  alone  and  unprotected  ?  " 

"  Was  it  you  who  saved  her  from  the  danger  of  last 
night  ?  "  asked  Cecil.  "  Believe  me,  it  is  your  presence  that 
threatens  her  with  the  most  danger.  Precisely  because  you 
are  at  her  side,  they  suspect  her  and  watch  her  every  step  ; 
the  circumstance  that  she  is  with  you  creates  distrust,  and 
in  Natalie  they  will  think  they  see  her  whose  mysteri- 
ous flight  has  long  been  known  in  Eussia.  And  Catharine 
will  have  her  tracked  in  all  countries  and  upon  all  routes. 
Therefore,  save  Natalie,  by  seeming  to  give  her  up.  Return 
home  and  relate  to  them  a  fable  of  a  false  princess  by 
whom  you  had  been  deceived,  and  whom  you  abandoned  as 
soon  as  you  discovered  the  deception.  They  will  every- 
where lend  you  a  believing  ear,  as  people  gladly  believe 
what  they  wish,  and  by  this  means  only  can  you  assure  the 
future  of  Natalie  and  yourself." 

"  That  is  all  just  and  true.  I  myself  have  so  seen  and 
recognized  it,"  said  the  count;  "and  yet,  my  friend,  I 
nevertheless  still  waver,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  an  internal 
voice  warns  me  against  that  which  I  am  about  to  do !  " 

Cecil   smilingly   shook    his    head.     *'  Trust    not    such 

voices,"   said   he;  "it  is  the  whispering  of  demons  who 

envelop  themselves  in  our  own  wishes,  who  entice  us  to 

what  we  would,  by  seeming  to  warn  us  against  what  we 

fear.      Nothing   but  your  departure  can  give  you  safety. 

Leave  Natalie  here  in  quiet  solitude,  and  without  you  she 

will  be  well  concealed  in  the  solitude  of  this  garden,  and 
21 


314      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

you,  in  the  mean  time,  will  pursue  your  affairs  in  Russia, 
and  deceive  the  enemy,  while  you  yourself  seem  to  be  the 
deceived  party.  They  threaten  you  with  the  confiscation 
of  your  property,  and  they  will  fulfil  those  threats  if  you  do 
not  obey  the  call  of  the  government.  Go,  therefore,  go  ! 
We  will  secretly  sell  your  property ;  and  when  this  is  ac- 
complished, then,  laden  with  treasure,  let  us  return  to 
Natalie,  no  longer  fearing  their  threats." 

"  And  when  all  this  is  done,"  exclaimed  Count  Paulo, 
glowing,  "  it  shall  be  our  task  to  conduct  Natalie  back  in 
triumph  to  the  country  to  which  she  belongs,  there  to  place 
the  diadem  upon  her  fair  brows,  and  to  raise  her  above  all 
other  mortal  beings ! " 

"God  grant  us  the  attainment  of  our  ends!"  sighed 
Cecil. 

"  We  must  and  shall  attain  them ! "  responded  Paulo, 
with  enthusiasm.  "  I  must  fulfil  this  great  task  of  my  life, 
or  die !  Away,  now,  with  all  wavering  or  hesitation  !  What 
must  be,  shall  be !  They  shall  not  say  of  the  man  who 
took  compassion  upon  the  deserted  and  threatened  orphan 
and  raised  her  for  his  objects,  that  he  gave  up  his  plans  on 
account  of  his  own  egotistical  wishes,  and  pusillanimously 
failed  to  finish  the  work  he  began  !  No,  no,  history  shall 
not  so  speak  of  me.  It  shall  at  least  represent  me  as  a 
brave  man  capable  of  sacrificing  his  heart  and  his  life  for 
the  attainment  of  his  higher  ends !  Seal  these  letters, 
Cecil.  They  contain  my  last  will,  and  my  bequest  to  Nata- 
lie, which  I  wish  to  place  in  her  own  hands.  Ah,  Cecil,  I 
have  been  an  enthusiastic  fool  until  this  hour!  I  thought 
— alas,  what  did  I  not  think  and  dream ! — I  thought  that 


THE  DEPARTURE.  315 

all  these  plans  and  objects  were  not  worth  so  much  as  one 
sole  smile  of  her  lips,  and  that  if  she  would  say  to  me  '  I 
love  thee,'  this  sweet  word  would  not  be  too  dearly  pur- 
chased with  an  imperial  crown.  Perhaps,  ah,  perhaps,  I 
think  so  yet,  but  I  will  never  more  suffer  myself  to  be 
swayed  by  such  thoughts.  We  must  go — Natalie's  happi- 
ness demands  it.  And  besides,  she  will  not  lack  friends 
and  protectors.  It  was  not  without  an  object  that  I  last 
evening  presented  her  to  the  most  notable  people  of  Rome ; 
not  without  an  object  that  I  consented  to  her  showing  her- 
self as  a  poetess.  They  now  know  her  name,  which  is 
repeated  with  highest  praise  in  every  quarter  of  the  city ; 
all  Rome  is  to-day  enthusiastic  in  her  praise,  and  all  Rome 
will  protect  and  defend  her.  Add  to  which,  I  shall  yet  rec- 
ommend her  to  the  special  protection  of  Cardinal  Bernis  I " 

"  And  it  was  exactly  in  his  house  where  she  was  almost 
murdered ! "  said  Cecil.  "  Without  that  singer,  Carlo, 
she  would  have  been  forever  lost!  If,  then,  you  would 
choose  a  protector  for  her,  let  it  be  Carlo." 

Count  Paulo's  brow  darkened.  "  This  singer  loves  her ! " 
said  he. 

"  Precisely  for  that  reason,"  smilingly  responded  Cecil. 
"  One  who  loves  will  best  know  how  to  protect  her." 

Count  Paulo  made  no  answer ;  he  continued  thought- 
fully walking  back  and  forth.  Then  he  said  with  de- 
cision :  "  Seal  these  letters,  Cecil.  I  will  take  them  to 
Natalie  myself." 

"  You  will,  then,  see  her  again  ? "  asked  Cecil,  while 
folding  the  letters.  "You  will  render  the  parting  more 
painful ! " 


316  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"I  will  it!"  said  Paulo,  with  decision,  and,  taking 
the  letters,  he  left  the  room  with  a  firm  and  resolute 
step. 

He  found  Natalie  in  her  room.  She  did  not  hear 
him  coming,  and  thus  did  not  turn  to  receive  him.  She 
was  sitting  motionless  at  the  window  and  dejectedly  look- 
ing out  into  the  garden,  her  head  supported  by  her 
hand. 

The  events  of  the  previous  evening  had  made  a  great 
change  in  her.  She  now  felt  older,  more  experienced, 
more  earnest.  A  dark  shadow  had  passed  over  her  sun- 
bright  happiness,  a  dark  power  had  threateningly  ap- 
proached her;  the  seriousness  of  life  had  been  suddenly 
unfolded  to  her  and  had  brushed  off  the  ether-dust  of 
harmless  and  joyful  peace  from  her  childish  soul.  The 
happy  child  had  become  a  conscious  maiden,  and  new 
thoughts,  new  feelings  had  sprung  up  within  her.  The 
first  tears  of  sorrow  had,  with  a  mighty  creative  power, 
called  all  these  slumbering  blossoms  of  her  heart  into  ex- 
istence and  activity,  and  her  unconscious  feelings  had  be- 
come conscious  thoughts. 

But  what  had  not  happened,  what  had  she  not  experienced 
and  felt  since  last  evening  ?  First,  had  not  a  new  happi- 
ness broken  in  upon  her,  had  she  not  now  a  name,  was  she 
not  a  princess  ?  Then,  had  she  not  achieved  a  triumph — a 
triumph  in  the  presence  of  Gorilla?  But  then,  also,  how 
many  desillusions  had  she  not  experienced  in  a  few  hours  ? 
How  had  her  heart  been  cooled  by  the  rich  fiow  of  words 
in  Gorilla's  poesy  !  Her  whole  soul  had  languished  for  the 
acquaintance  of  a  poetess,  and  she  had  heard  only  a  rhymed 


THE  DEPARTURE.  317 

work  of  art.  And  then  the  last  terrible  event !  Why  had 
they  wished  to  murder  her?  Who  were  her  unknown 
enemies,  and  why  had  she  enemies? 

"  I  should  have  been  dead  had  he  not  rescued  me ! " 
murmured  she,  and  her  lovely  face  was  illuminated  by  a 
sunny  smile.  "  Yes,  without  Carlo  I  should  have  been  lost 
— I  have  to  thank  him  for  my  life !  Oh,"  said  she  then 
aloud,  "to  him  therefore  belongs  my  existence,  and  for 
every  joy  I  am  yet  capable  of  feeling  I  am  indebted  to  him, 
my  friend  Carlo !  Ah,  how  shall  I  ever  be  able  to  reward 
him  for  all  this  happiness  ?  " 

And  while  she  was  thus  speaking,  Count  Paulo,  pale 
and  silent,  stood  behind  her  ;  she  saw  him  not,  and  after  a 
pause  she  continued  :  "  How  strange  it  is  !  To-day,  when 
I  think  of  him,  my  heart  beats  as  never  before,  and  I  feel 
in  it  something  like  heavenly  bliss,  and  yet  at  the  same 
time  like  profound  sorrow.  Ah,  what  can  it  be,  and  why 
do  I,  to-day,  think  only  of  him  ?  I  could  weep  because  he 
does  not  yet  come  !  How  strange  it  all  is,  and  at  the  same 
time  how  sad  !  Seems  it  not  to  me  that  I  love  Carlo  more 
than  any  one  else,  more  even  than  Paulo,  who  formerly  was 
the  dearest  to  me?  How  is  it  now,  and  am  I,  then,  really 
so  ungrateful  to  Paulo  ?  " 

Count  Paulo  still  stood  behind  her,  pale  and  silent.  A 
painfully  ironic  smile  flitted  over  his  face,  and  he  thought : 
"  I  came  to  ask  a  question,  and  Natalie  has  already  given 
me  the  answer  before  I  had  time  to  ask  it.  Perhaps  it  is 
better  thus.     I  have  now  nothing  to  ask  ! " 

The  young  maiden  became  more  and  more  deeply  ab- 
sorbed in  her  thoughts.     Count  Paulo  laid  his  hand  lightly 


318  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

upon  her  shoulder.  She  was  startled,  and  involuntarily 
cried,  "Carlo!" 

"  No,  Paulo ! "  said  he,  with  a  melancholy  smile, "  but  at 
all  events  a  friend,  Natalie,  though  a  friend  who  is  about  to 
leave  you ! " 

"  You  leave  me  ?  "  she  anxiously  exclaimed. 

"  That  means  only  outwardly,  only  with  my  body,  never 
with  my  soul,"  said  he,  deeply  moved.  "  That,  Natalie,  will 
remain  with  you  eternally,  that  will  never  leave  you — do 
you  hear,  never !  Always  remember  this,  my  charming 
child,  my  sweet  blossom !  Never  entertain  a  doubt  of  me ; 
and  if  my  voice  does  not  reach  you,  if  you  receive  no  news 
of  me,  then  think  not,  '  Paulo  has  abandoned  me ! '  no ; 
then  think  only,  '  Paulo  is  dead,  but  my  name  was  the  last 
to  linger  upon  his  lips,  and  his  last  sigh  was  for  me  ! '  " 

"  You  desert  me  ? "  said  she,  wringing  her  hands. 
"  What  am  I,  what  shall  I  do,  without  you  ?  You  have 
been  my  protector  and  my  reliance,  my  teacher  and  my 
friend !  Alas,  you  were  all  to  me,  and  I  have  ever  looked 
up  to  you  as  my  lord  and  father." 

Count  Paulo  sadly  smiled.  "  Love  me  always  as  your 
father,"  said  he ;  "  while  I  live  you  shall  never  be  an  or- 
phan, that  I  swear  to  you  ! " 

"  And  must  you  go,"  cried  she,  clinging  to  him ;  "  well, 
then  let  me  go  with  you  !  You  will  be  my  father — well,  I 
demand  my  right  as  your  daughter ;  to  accompany  her 
father  is  a  daughter's  right." 

"  No,"  he  firmly  said,  "  you  must  remain  while  I  go ; 
but  I  go  for  you,  to  assure  your  future  power  and  splendor. 
Eemember  this.  Princess  Natalie,  forget  it  not ;  and  when 


THE  DEPARTURE.  319 

one  day  they  brand  me  as  a  traitor,  then  say :  '  No,  he  was 
no  traitor,  for  he  loved  me  ! '  And  now  hear  what  I  have 
yet  to  say,"  continued  the  count,  after  a  pause,  while  the 
still  weeping  Natalie  looked  up  to  him  through  her  tears. 
'•'  But  look  at  me,  Natalie — no,  not  that  sad  glance,  I  can- 
not bear  it !  Leave  me  my  self-possession  and  my  courage, 
for  I  need  them  !     Weep  not ! " 

And  Natalie,  drying  her  eyes  with  her  long  locks,  sought 
to  smile. 

"  I  no  longer  weep,"  said  she,  "  I  listen  to  you." 

Paulo  placed  two  sealed  letters  in  her  hand. 

"  Swear  to  me,"  said  he,  "  to  hold  these  letters  sacred  as 
your  most  precious  possession." 

"  I  swear  it ! "  said  she. 

"  Swear  to  me  to  discover  them  to  no  human  eye,  to  be- 
tray their  possession  to  no  human  ear  !  Swear  it  to  me  by 
the  memory  of  your  mother,  who  now  looks  down  from 
heaven  upon  you  and  receives  your  oath ! " 

"  Then  she  is  dead  ? "  said  the  young  maiden,  sadly 
drooping  her  head  upon  her  breast. 

"  You  have  not  yet  sworn  !  "  said  he. 

The  young  maiden  raised  her  head,  and,  turning  her 
eyes  toward  heaven  as  if  in  the  hope  of  encountering  the 
tender  maternal  glance,  she  solemnly  said  :  "  By  the  sacred 
memory  of  my  mother  I  swear  to  discover  these  papers  to 
no  human  eye,  to  betray  their  existence  to  no  human  ear, 
but  to  hold  them  sacred  as  my  most  precious  and  mysterious 
treasure ! " 

"  Swear,  further  "  said  Count  Paulo,  "  that  whenever  a 
danger  may  threaten  you,  you  will  sooner  forget  all  other 


320  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

things  than  these  papers,  that  they  shall  be  the  first  which 
you  will  endeavor  to  save.  Yes,  swear  to  me  that  you  will 
ever  bear  them  upon  your  heart  and  never  permit  them  to 
be  separated  from  you  ! " 

"  I  swear  it ! "  said  Natalie.  "  I  will  defend  the  posses- 
sion of  these  papers,  if  necessary,  with  my  life ! " 

"  And  thereby  will  you  defend  your  honor,"  said  Paulo, 
"  for  your  honor  rests  in  these  papers.  Yet  ask  me  not 
what  they  contain.  You  must  not  yet  know ;  there  is  dan- 
ger in  knowing  their  contents !  But  when  a  whole  year 
has  passed  without  my  return  or  your  hearing  from  me,  and 
if  in  this  whole  year  no  messenger  comes  to  you  from  me, 
then,  Natalie,  then  open  these  letters ;  you  will  then  pos- 
sess my  testament,  and  you  will  consider  it  a  sacred  duty  to 
execute  it ! " 

Natalie,  sobbing,  said :  "Ah,  why  did  not  that  dagger 
pierce  my  heart  yesterday  ?  I  should  then  have  died  while 
I  was  yet  happy  ?  " 

"  You  will  yet  do  so ! "  said  Count  Paulo,  with  a  slight 
tincture  of  bitterness ;  "  Carlo  and  your  future  yet  remain 
to  you ! " 

She  looked  at  him  with  a  clear,  bright  glance,  but  with- 
out answering.  She  had  again  become  an  enigma  to  her- 
self. Now,  when  her  friend,  when  Paulo,  was  about  to 
leave  her,  it  seemed  to  her  she  had  done  wrong  to  love  an- 
other, even  for  a  moment,  better  than  him,  her  benefactor 
and  protector ;  indeed,  as  if  she  in  fact  loved  no  one  so  well 
as  him,  as  if  she  could  resign  and  leave  all  others  to  insure 
Paulo's  permanent  presence ! 

But  she  was  suddenly  startled,  and  a  glowing  flush  over 


THE  DEPARTURE.  321 

spread  her  cheeks.  She  had,  quite  accidentally,  glanced 
through  the  windoAv  into  the  garden,  and  had  there  discov- 
ered Carlo,  as  with  slow  and  hesitating  steps  he  descended 
the  alley  leading  to  the  villa. 

Count  Paulo  had  followed  her  glance,  and,  as  he  now 
observed  the  singer,  he  said  :  "  He  shall  henceforth  be  your 
protector !  Promise  me  to  love  him  as  a  brother.  Will 
you?" 

He  looked  at  her  with  a  fixed  and  searching  gaze,  and 
she  cast  not  down  her  eyes  before  that  penetrating  and  in- 
terrogating glance,  but  met  it  directly  with  clear  and  inno- 
cent eyes. 

"  Yes,  I  will  love  him  as  a  brother  ! "  she  said. 

"One  thing  more,  and  then  let  us  part!"  said  Paulo. 
"  Marianne  is  honest  and  true — let  her  never  leave  you.  I 
have  amply  provided  her  with  funds  for  the  necessary  ex- 
penses for  the  next  six  months,  and  I  hope  long  before  the 
expiration  of  that  time  to  send  a  further  supply.  If  I  do 
not,  then  conclude  I  am  dead,  for  only  with  my  life  can  I  be 
robbed  of  the  sweet  duty  of  caring  for  you  !  And  now  let 
me  go  to  Carlo  ! " 

Slightly  nodding  to  her,  he  hastily  left  the  room. 

At  that  moment  Carlo  mounted  the  steps  leading  to  the 
door  of  the  villa.     Paulo  met  him  with  a  hearty  greeting. 

"Let  us  go  down  into  the  garden,"  said  he,  "I  have 
many  things  to  say  to  you." 

The  two  men  remained  a  long  time  in  the  garden. 
Natalie,  standing  at  the  window,  occasionally  saw  them, 
arm  in  arm,  at  some  turning  of  the  walks,  and  then  they 
would  again  disappear  as  they  pursued  their  way  in  earnest 


322      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

conversation.  Strange  thoughts  flitted  through  the  soul  of 
the  young  maiden,  and  when  she  saw  the  two  thus  wander- 
ing, arm  in  arm,  she  thoughtfully  asked  herself :  "  Which 
is  it,  then,  that  I  most  love  ?    Is  it  Carlo,  is  it  Paulo  ?  " 

"  I  now  understood  you  perfectly,"  said  Count  Paulo,  as 
they  again  approached  the  house  after  a  long  and  earnest 
conversation.  "  Yes,  it  seems  to  me  I  know  you  as  myself, 
and  know  I  can  confide  in  you.  You  have  perfectly  tran- 
quillized me,  and  I  thank  you  for  your  confidence.  It  was 
then  Corilla,  that  vain  improvisatrice,  who  would  have 
destroyed  her  ?  That  is  consoling,  and  I  can  now  depart 
with  a  lighter  heart.  Against  such  attacks  you  will  be  able 
to  protect  her." 

"I  will  protect  her  against  every  attack,"  responded 
Carlo.  "  You  have  my  oath  that  the  secret  you  have  con- 
fided to  me  shall  be  held  sacred,  and  you  have  thereby 
secured  her  from  every  outbreak  of  my  passion.  She  stands 
so  high  above  me  that  I  can  only  adore  her  as  my  saint, 
can  love  her  only  as  one  loves  the  unattainable  stars ! " 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

AN   HOKEST   BETRAYER. 

At  about  the  same  time  Cecil  was  hastening  through 
the  streets  of  Rome,  often  looking  back  to  see  if  any  one 
was  following  him,  and  viewing  with  suspicious  eyes  every 
one  whom  he  met.  He  finally  stopped  before  the  backdoor 
of  a  palace,  and,  after  having  satisfied  himself  that  he  had 


AN  HONEST   BETRAYER.  323 

not  been  followed,  he  lightly  knocked  three  times  at  the 
door.  Upon  its  being  opened,  a  grim,  bearded  Eussian 
face  presented  itself. 

Cecil  drew  a  ring  from  his  bosom  and  showed  it  to  the 
porter. 

"  Quick !  conduct  me  to  his  excellency,"  said  he. 

The  Eussian  nodded  his  recognition  of  the  token,  and 
beckoned  Cecil  to  follow  him.  After  a  short  reflection, 
Cecil  entered  and  the  door  was  closed. 

Guided  by  his  conductor  through  a  labyrinth  of  rooms 
and  corridors,  Cecil  finally  succeeded  in  reaching  a  little 
boudoir,  whose  heavily-curtained  windows  hardly  admitted 
a  ray  of  dim  twilight. 

The  conductor,  bidding  Cecil  to  wait  here,  left  him 
alone. 

In  a  few  moments  a  concealed  door  was  opened,  and  a 
man  of  a  tall,  proud  form  entered. 

"  At  length ! "  he  said,  on  perceiving  Cecil.  "  I  had 
begun  to  doubt  your  coming." 

"  I  waited  until  I  could  bring  you  decisive  intelligence, 
your  excellency,"  said  Cecil. 

"  And  you  bring  it  to-day  ?  "  quickly  asked  the  unknown. 

"  In  an  hour  we  leave  Eome  for  St.  Petersburg ! " 

Uttering  a  loud  cry  of  joy,  the  stranger  walked  the 
room  in  visible  commotion.  Cecil  followed  him  with 
timid,  anxious  glances,  and,  as  he  still  kept  silence,  Cecil 
said: 

"  Your  excellency,  I  have  truly  performed  what  you 
required  of  me.  I  have  persuaded  the  count  to  make  the 
journey,  notwithstanding  his  opposition  to  it,  and,  as  you 


324  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

commanded,  his  ward  remains  behind  in  Rome,  alone  and 
unprotected." 

"  Ah,  you  praise  your  acts  because  you  desire  your 
reward,"  said  his  excellency,  contemptuously  opening  his 
writing-desk,  and  drawing  forth  a  well-filled  purse.  "  You 
there  have  your  pay,  good  man  !  " 

Cecil  indignantly  rejected  the  money.  "  I  am  no  Judas, 
who  betrays  his  master  for  money,"  said  he.  "  Please 
remember,  your  excellency,  for  what  I  promised  to  fulfil 
your  excellency's  commands,  and  what  reward  you  promised 
me!" 

"  Ah,  I  now  remember !  You  required  my  promise 
that  no  harm  should  befall  the  count !  " 

"  Only  on  that  condition  did  I  promise  my  assistance," 
said  Cecil.  "  When  your  emissary  sought  me  and  called  me 
to  you,  I  only  followed  him,  as  you  well  know,  most  noble 
count,  because  you  gave  me  to  understand  that  my  master's 
life  and  safety  were  concerned.  I  came  to  you.  Allow  me, 
your  excellency,  to  repeat  your  own  words.  You  said : 
'  Cecil,  you  have  been  represented  to  me  as  a  true  friend  of 
your  master.  Fidelity  is  so  rare  a  virtue,  that  it  deserves 
reward.  I  will  reward  you  by  saving  your  life.  Quickly 
leave  this  traitorous  count,  and  break  off  all  connection  with 
him,  else  you  are  lost.  I  am  secretly  sent  here  in  order  to 
capture  the  count  and  his  criminal  ward,  and  take  them  to 
St.  Petersburg.  What  there  awaits  the  count  may  easily  be 
imagined.'  Thus  speaking,  your  excellency  then  showed 
me  the  command  for  the  count's  arrest,  signed  by  the  em- 
press. Upon  which  I  asked  :  '  Is  there  no  means  of  saving 
the  count  ? '    '  There  is  one,'  said  you.    '  Persuade  the  count 


AN   HONEST  BETRAYER.  325 

to  return  immediately  to  St.  Petersburg,  leaving  his  ward 
behind  him  here,  and  I  swear  to  you,  in  the  name  of  the 
empress,  that  no  harm  shall  come  to  him.' " 

"  Well,"  impatiently  cried  the  count,  "  what  is  the  use  of 
repeating  all  that,  as  I  know  it  already  ?  " 

"  Only  because  your  excellency  seems  to  forget  that  what 
I  did  was  not  done  for  your  miserable  gold,  but  for  a  totally 
different  reward — the  safety  of  a  man  whom  I  love  as  my 
own  son." 

"You  have  my  word — no  harm  shall  come  to  him." 

"  I  doubt  not  your  excellency's  word,"  firmly  and  de- 
cidedly responded  Cecil,  "  your  word  is  all-powerful,  and 
when  you  let  your  commanding  voice  be  heard,  all  Rus- 
sia trembles  and  bows  before  you.  But  here  your  voice 
resounds  only  between  these  walls,  and  nobody  hears  it 
but  I  alone.  Give  me  an  evidence  of  your  word — a  safety- 
pass,  signed  by  your  own  hand,  for  my  master,  and  then 
destroy  the  order  for  his  arrest  which  you  now  hold !  " 

"  Ah,  it  seems  you  would  prescribe  conditions  ?  "  said 
the  count,  proudly. 

"  Certainly  I  will,"  said  Cecil.  "  I  have  complied  with 
your  conditions,  and  now  it  is  your  turn.  Sir  Count,  to  com- 
ply with  mine,  for  you  knew  them  before  !  " 

A  dark  glow  of  anger  showed  itself  in  the  count's  face, 
and,  passionately  starting  up,  he  approached  Cecil,  raising 
his  arm  threateningly  against  him. 

"  Sir  Count,"  said  Cecil,  stepping  back,  "  you  mistake ! 
I  am  no  Russian  serf,  I  am  a  free  man,  and  no  one  has  a 
right  so  to  threaten  me  ! " 

The  count  had  already  let  his  arm  fall,  seeming  suddenly 


326      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

to  have  changed  his  mind,  and  in  a  more  friendly  manner 
he  said : 

"  You  are  right,  Cecil,  and  what  you  desire  shall  be 
done." 

Taking  a  large  sealed  paper  from  a  drawer  in  his  writ- 
ing-desk, he  handed  it  to  Cecil. 

"  That  is  the  order  for  the  arrest ;  destroy  it  yourself ! " 
said  he. 

Taking  the  paper,  Cecil  read  it  with  attention.  "  It  is, 
as  you  say,  the  order  for  the  arrest.     It  is  destroyed  ! " 

With  a  satisfied  smile,  he  tore  the  paper  into  a  thousand 
pieces,  and  placed  these  in  his  bosom. 

The  count  had  stepped  to  the  table  and  hastily  written 
a  few  lines  upon  another  piece  of  paper.  This  he  handed 
to  Cecil.     "  I  hope  you  are  now  satisfied,"  said  he. 

Cecil  took  the  paper  and  read  it. 

"  This  is  a  safety-pass  in  due  form,"  said  he — "  a  valid 
instruction  to  all  boundary  guards  and  ofl&cials  to  let  us  pass 
without  molestation.  Your  excellency,  we  are  quits.  I 
complied  with  your  wish,  as  you  now  have  with  mine,  and 
my  dear  master  is  saved !  " 

"  It  being  understood  that  you  start  immediately,"  said 
the  count. 

■  .  "  The  post-horses  are  already  ordered,  and  we  shall  set 
out  as  soon  as  I  return  home.  Farewell,  therefore,  Sir 
Count ;  I  thank  you  for  enabling  me  to  save  the  man  whom 
I  most  loved.     I  thank  you  ! " 

Cecil  was  approaching  the  door,  when  he  suddenly 
stopped,  and  his  face  took  a  sad  expression.  "  I  have  de- 
ceived my  dear  master,  in  order  to  save  him,"  said  he,  "  and 


AN   HONEST   BETRAYER.  327 

in  order  to  redeem  the  promise  I  made  his  father  on  his 
death-bed,  swearing  that  I  would  watch  over  and  protect 
the  son  at  the  risk  of  my  heart's  blood.  But  if  the  son 
knew  what  I  have  done,  he  would  call  me  a  betrayer  and 
curse  me,  for  he  holds  his  ward  dearer  than  his  own  life !  , 
He  leaves  the  princess  in  the  belief  that  it  is  necessary 
for  her  safety,  and  repairs  to  Eussia,  to  return  with  in- 
creased wealth.     Sir  Count,  what  is  to  become  of  Natalie  ?  " 

"  That,"  low  and  mysteriously  rejilied  the  count,  "  that 
can  be  decided  only  by  the  will  of  her  who  has  sent;  me. 
Until  that  decision  no  hair  of  her  head  can  be  touched, 
and  the  princess  will  follow  me  to  Russia,  only  with  her  own 
free  will !  But  you  must  know  that  the  empress  hates  no 
one  more  than  her  own  son.  How,  then,  if  she  should  be 
disposed  to  pass  him  over,  and  select  another  as  her  succes- 
sor?" 

"  Oh,  would  to  God  that  I  rightly  understand  you ! " 
exclaimed  Cecil. 

""  We  shall,  one  day,  perfectly  understand  each  other," 
said  the  count,  with  a  significant  smile.  "  Now,  hasten  to 
redeem  your  word,  and  leave  Rome  with  your  master ! " 

As  soon  as  Cecil  left  the  room,  the  count's  face  assumed 
a  knavishly  malicious  expression.  With  a  loud  laugh  he 
threw  himself  upon  the  silken  divan. 

"  Thus  are  all  these  so-called  good  men  real  blockheads, 
stupid  fools,  who  believe  every  word  spoken  to  them  with  a 
friendly  mien !  This  honest  man  really  believes  that  his 
highly-prized  master  is  now  saved,  because  he  bears  in  his 
bosom  the  fragments  of  the  order  for  his  arrest  Worthy 
dunce ;  as  if  there  were  no  duplicate,  and  as  if  every  prom- 


328      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ise  were  countersigned  by  the  Divinity  himself !  Go  home 
with  your  count — ray  word  shall  be  fulfilled.  No  hair  of 
his  head  shall  be  touched,  but  his  proud  back  shall  be 
curled,  and  in  the  mines  of  Siberia  he  may  learn  to  bow  be- 
fore a  higher  power !  " 

Thus  speaking,  the  count  pulled  a  bell  whose  silken 
cord  hung  over  the  divan,  and,  as  no  one  instantly  appeared, 
he  pulled  it  again,  this  time  more  violently.  But  yet  some 
minutes  passed,  and  still  the  bell  was  unanswered.  The 
count  gnashed  his  teeth  with  rage,  and  muttered  vehement 
curses. 

At  length  the  door  opened,  and  with  an  imploring  face 
a  servant  appeared  upon  the  threshold. 

"  Miserable  hound,  where  were  you  ?  "  cried  the  count 
to  him. 

The  servant  fell  upon  his  knees  and  crept  like  a  dog  to 
his  master's  feet. 

"  Excellency,  we  had,  as  your  grace  commanded,  so  long 
as  the  gentleman  was  with  you,  withdrawn  from  the  ante- 
room and  waited  in  the  corridor,  where  the  bell  could  not 
be  heard,"  stammered  the  servant. 

"  I  will  teach  you  wretches  to  keep  me  waiting,"  ex- 
claimed the  count,  and  seizing  the  knout  that  lay  upon  the 
table  before  him,  he  laid  it  with  merciless  rage  upon  the 
poor  servant,  until  his  own  arm  sank  powerless,  and  he  felt 
himself  exhausted  with  fatigue. 

"  Now  go,  you  hound ! "  said  he,  replacing  the  knout 
upon  the  table  ;  and  the  flagellated  serf,  rising  respectfully, 
with  his  hand  wiped  away  the  blood  which  ran  in  streams 
from  his  wounds. 


AN  HONEST  BETRAYER.  329 

"  Now  go  and  send  my  officers  to  me !  "  cried  the  count. 
The  servant  staggered  out  to  obey  the  command,  and  soon 
the  persons  thus  ordered  made  their  appearance  and  re- 
mained standing  in  silence  at  the  door. 

The  count  lay  stretched  out  upon  the  divan,  playing 
with  the  knout,  whose  leathern  thongs  were  still  dripping 
with  his  servant's  blood. 

"  Let  a  courier  take  horse  immediately,  and  give  him 
the  order  countersigned  by  her  imperial  majesty  for  the 
arrest  of  Count  Paulo  Rasczinsky.  The  courier  will  follow 
him  with  it  to  the  Eussian  frontier,  and  then  by  virtue  of 
this  order  arrest  him  at  the  next  station  and  send  him  to 
St.  Petersburg  in  chains !  This  is  the  command  for  the 
courier ;  he  will  answer  with  his  head  for  its  execution ! " 

One  of  the  officers  bowed,  and  went  to  dispatch  the 
courier. 

"  Is  our  reconnoitrer  returned  ?  "  asked  the  count  of  the 
two  who  remained, 

"  He  is." 

"  What  news  brings  he  ?  Does  he  know  the  cause  of 
the  murderous  attack  at  the  festival  of  the  French  cardi- 
nal ?  Yet  why  do  I  ask  you  ?  Make  yourselves  scarce,  and 
let  him  come  to  speak  for  himself ! " 

The  officers  were  no  sooner  gone,  than  a  wild-looking, 
bearded  churl  made  his  appearance  upon  the  threshold  of 
the  door  and  greeted  the  count  with  a  grinning  laugh. 

"  What  know  you  of  the  murderous  attack  ?  "  asked  the 
count,  in  Italian. 

"  A  friend  of  mine  was  charged  with  the  affair,"  said 

the  bravo.     "  He  is  in  the  pay  of  the  most  holy  Cardinal 

22 


330  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

Albani.  We  served  long  together  under  the  same  chief, 
and  I  know  him  intimately.  He  carries  the  most  skilful 
dagger  in  all  Rome,  and  it  is  the  greatest  wonder  that  he 
missed  on  this  occasion." 

"  Was  it  done  by  order  of  the  cardinal  ?  " 

"  No !  The  lord  cardinal  had  lent  this  bravo  to  the 
celebrated  improvisatrice  Gorilla  —  the  order  came  from 
her." 

"  It  is  w^ell ! "  said  the  count.  "  Do  you  know  all  the 
hravi  in  Rome  ?  " 

"  All,  your  excellency.     They  are  all  my  good  friends. 

"  Well,  now  listen  to  what  I  have  to  say  to  j'ou.  You 
must  hold  the  life  of  the  Princess  Tartaroff  as  sacred  as 
your  own !  Know  that  she  is  no  moment  unwatched ; 
that  wherever  she  appears  she  is  surrounded  by  secret  pro- 
tectors. Whoever  touches  her  is  lost — my  arm  will  reach 
him  !  Say  that  to  your  friends,  and  tell  them  that  the 
Russian  count  keeps  his  word.  Four  thousand  sequins  are 
yours  in  four  weeks,  if  until  then  the  princess  meets  with 
no  accident.     Away  with  you,  and  forget  not  my  words !  " 

"  Ah,  these  words,  your  excellency,  are  worth  four  thou- 
sand sequins,  and  these  one  does  not  so  easily  forget ! "  said 
the  bandit,  leaving  the  room. 

Again  the  count  rang,  and  ordered  his  private  secretary, 
Stephano,  to  be  called. 

"  Stephano,"  said  the  count  to  him,  "  the  first  step  is 
taken  toward  the  accomplishment  of  our  object.  The  work 
must  succeed ;  I  have  pledged  my  word  for  it  to  the  em- 
press, and  who  can  say  that  Alexis  Orloff  ever  failed  to  re- 
deem his  word  ?    This  princess  is  mine !    Count   Paulo 


AN  HONEST  BETRAYER.  331 

Easczinsky  is  just  now  leaving  Rome,  and  she  has  no  one  to 
protect  her ! " 

"  But  it  is  not  yet  to  be  said  that  she  is  already  yours ! " 
said  Stephano,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  As  you  will  not 
employ  force,  your  excellency,  you  must  have  recourse  to 
stratagem.  I  have  hit  upon  a  plan,  of  which  I  think  you 
will  approve.  They  describe  this  so-called  little  princess  as 
exceedingly  innocent  and  confiding.  Let  us  take  advan- 
tage of  her  confiding  innocence — that  will  be  best !  Now 
hear  my  plan." 

Stephano  inclined  himself  closer  to  the  ear  of  the  count, 
and  whispered  long  and  earnestly ;  it  seemed  as  if  he  feared 
that  even  the  walls  might  listen  to  him  and  betray  his 
plans ;  he  whispered  so  low  that  even  the  count  had  some 
trouble  in  understanding  him. 

"  You  are  right,"  said  the  count,  when  Stephano  had 
ended ;  "  your  plan  must  and  will  succeed.  First  of  all, 
we  must  find  some  one  who  will  incline  her  in  our  favor, 
and  render  her  confiding." 

"  Oh,  for  that  we  have  our  good  Russian  gold,"  said 
Stephano,  laughing. 

"  And  besides,"  continued  the  count,  "  our  incognito  is 
at  an  end.  All  Rome  may  now  learn  that  I  am  here !  Ah, 
Stephano,  what  a  happy  time  awaits  me !  This  Natalie  is 
beautiful  as  an  angel ! " 

"  God  grant  that  you  may  not  fall  in  love  with  her  ! " 
sighed  Stephano.  "  You  are  always  very  generous  when 
you  are  in  love." 


332  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

ALEXIS   OKLOFF. 

Two  things  principally  occupied  the  Romans  during 
the  next  weeks  and  months,  offering  them  rich  material  for 
conversation.  In  talking  of  these  they  had  forgotten  all 
other  events ;  they  spoke  no  more  of  the  giant  fish  which 
had  destroyed  the  friendship  of  France  and  Spain ;  they  no 
longer  entertained  each  other  with  anecdotes  in  connection 
with  the  festival  of  Cardinal  Bernis,  at  which  the  entree  of 
that  fish  upon  his  long  silver  platter  was  hailed  with  shouts 
and  vivats — yea,  even  that  Russian  princess,  who  had  mo- 
mentarily shown  herself  on  the  horizon  of  society,  all  these 
were  quickly  forgotten,  and  people  now  interested  them- 
selves only  about  the  extirpation  of  the  order  of  the  Jesuits, 
which  Pope  Clement  had  now  really  effected,  and  of  the 
arrival  of  the  Russian  ambassador-extraordinary,  the  famous 
Alexis  Orloff,  whose  visit  to  Rome  seemed  the  more  impor- 
tant and  significant  as  they  well  knew  in  what  near  and 
confidential  relations  his  brother.  Count  Gregory  Orloff, 
stood  with  the  Empress  Catharine,  and  what  participation 
Alexis  Orloff  had  in  the  sudden  death  of  the  Emperor 
Peter  III. 

The  order  of  the  Jesuits,  then,  no  longer  existed ;  the 
pious  fathers  of  the  order  of  Jesus  were  stricken  out  of  the 
book  of  history ;  a  word  of  power  had  annihilated  them ! 
With  loud  complaints  and  lamentations  they  filled  the 
streets  of  the  holy  city,  and  if  the  prayer  of  humility  and 
resignation  resounded  from  their  lips,  yet  there  were  very 


ALEXIS  ORLOFP.  333 

different  prayers  in  their  hearts,  prayers  of  anger  and  rage, 
of  hatred  and  revenge !  They  were  seen  wringing  their 
hands  and  loudly  lamenting,  as  they  hastened  to  their 
friends  and  protectors,  and  besieged  the  doors  of  the  foreign 
embassies.  With  them  wept  the  poor  and  suffering  people 
to  whom  the  pious  fathers  had  proved  themselves  bene- 
factors. For,  since  they  knew  that  their  existence  was 
threatened,  they  had  assiduously  devoted  themselves  to 
works  of  charity  and  mercy,  and  to  strengthening,  espe- 
cially in  Rome,  their  reputation  for  piety,  benevolence,  and 
generosity.  Prodigious  sums  were  by  them  distributed 
among  the  poor;  more  than  five  hundred  respectable  im- 
poverished Romans,  who  had  been  accused  of  political 
offences,  were  secretly  supported  by  them.  In  this  way  the 
Jesuits,  against  whom  the  cry  of  denunciation  had  been 
raised  for  years  in  all  Europe,  had  nevertheless  succeeded, 
at  least  in  the  holy  city,  in  gaining  for  themselves  a  very 
considerable  party,  and  thus  securing  protection  and  sup- 
port in  the  time  of  misfortune  and  persecution.  But  while 
the  people  wept  with  them,  and  many  cardinals  and  princes 
of  the  Church  secretly  pitied  them,  the  ambassadors  of  the 
great  European  powers  alone  remained  insensible  to  their 
lamentations.  No  one  of  them  opened  the  doors  of  their 
palaces  to  them,  no  one  afforded  them  protection  or  con- 
solation ;  and  although  it  was  knawn  that  Cardinal  Bernis, 
in  spite  of  the  horror  which  had  for  years  been  felt  of  this 
order  in  France,  was  personally  favorable  to  them,  and  had 
long  delayed  the  consent  of  the  court  of  France  to  their 
abolition,  yet  even  Bernis  now  avoided  any  manifestation  of 
kindness  for  them,  lest  his  former  friend,  the  Spanish  am- 


334  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

bassador,  might  think  he  so  far  humiliated  himself  as  to 
favor  the  Jesuits  for  the  sake  of  recovering  the  friendship 
and  good  opinion  of  the  Duke  of  Grimaldi.  But  Grimaldi 
liimself  now  no  longer  dared  to  protect  the  Jesuits,  however 
friendly  he  might  be  to  them,  and  however  much  they  were 
favored  by  Elizabeth  Farnese,  the  Spanish  queen-mother. 
King  Charles,  her  son,  had  finally  ventured  to  defy  her 
authority,  and  in  an  autograph  letter  had  commanded  the 
Duke  of  Grimaldi  to  receive  no  more  Jesuits  in  his  palace. 
And  while,  as  we  have  said,  the  whole  diplomacy  had  de- 
clared against  the  order  of  the  holy  fathers  of  Jesus,  it  must 
have  been  the  more  striking  that  this  Kussian  Count  Orloff 
had  compassion  upon  them,  that  he  opened  the  doors  of  his 
palace  to  them,  and  lent  a  willing  ear  to  the  complaints  of 
the  unfortunate  members  of  the  order. 

This  Russian  count  gave  the  good  Romans  much  mate- 
rial for  reflection  and  head -shaking ;  the  women  were  occu- 
pied with  his  herculean  beauty,  and  the  men  with  his  wild, 
daring,  and  reckless  conduct.  They  called  him  a  barbarian, 
a  Russian  bear,  but  could  not  help  being  interested  in  him, 
and  eagerly  repeating  the  little  anecdotes  freely  circulated 
respecting  him. 

They  smilingly  told  that  he  had  been  the  first  who  had 
had  the  courage  to  defy  the  powerful  republic  of  Venice, 
which,  for  recruiting  sailors  for  his  fleet  in  their  territories 
for  the  war  against  the  Turks,  wished  to  banish  him  from 
proud  and  beautiful  Venice.  But  Alexis  Orloff  had  laughed 
at  the  senate  of  the  republic  when  they  sent  him  the  order 
to  leave.  He  had  ordered  the  two  hundred  soldiers,  who 
formed  his  retinue,  to  arm  themselves,  and,  if  necessary,  to 


ALEXIS  ORLOFP.  335 

repel  force  with  force ;  but  to  the  senate  he  had  answered 
that  he  would  leave  the  city  as  soon  as  he  pleased,  not 
before !  But,  as  it  seemed  that  he  was  not  pleased  to  leave 
the  city,  he  remained  there,  and  now  the  angry  and  indig- 
nant senate  sent  him  the  peremptory  command  to  leave 
Venice  with  his  soldiers  in  twenty-four  hours.  A  deputa- 
tion of  the  senate  came  in  solemn  procession  to  communi- 
cate to  the  Russian  count  this  command  of  the  Council  of 
Three.  Alexis  Orloff  received  them,  lying  upon  his  divan, 
and  to  their  solemn  address  he  laughingly  answered :  "  I 
receive  commands  from  no  one  but  my  empress !  It  re- 
mains as  before,  that  I  shall  go  when  I  please,  and  not 
earlier ! " 

The  senators  departed  with  bitter  murmurs  and  severe 
threats.  Count  Alexis  Orloff  remained,  and  the  cowardly 
senate,  trembling  with  fear  of  this  young  Russian  empire, 
had  silently  pocketed  the  humiliation  of  seeing  this  over- 
bearing Russian  within  their  walls  for  several  weeks  longer.* 
This  evidence  of  the  haughty  insolence  of  Count  Orloff  was 
related  among  the  Romans  with  undisguised  pleasure,  and 
they  thanked  him  for  having  thus  humiliated  and  insulted 
the  proud  and  imperious  republic.  But  they  suspiciously 
shook  their  heads  when  they  learned  that  he  seemed  dis- 
posed to  display  his  pride  and  arrogance  in  Rome !  They 
told  of  a  soiree  of  the  Marchesa  di  Paduli  which  Alexis 
Orloff  had  attended.  As  they  there  begged  of  him  to  give 
some  proof  of  the  very  superior  strength  which  had  ac- 
quired for  him  the  name  of  "the  Russian  Hercules,"  he 

*  Archenholz,  "  Italien,"  vol.  iv.,  p.  53. 


336  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

liad  taken  one  of  the  hardest  apples  from  a  silver  plateau 
that  stood  upon  the  table  and  playfully  crushed  it  with  two 
fingers  of  his  left  hand.  But  a  fragment  of  this  hard  apple 
had  hit  the  eye  of  the  Duke  of  Gloucester,  who  was  stand- 
ing near,  and  seriously  injured  it.  The  sympathies  of  the 
whole  company  were  excited  for  the  English  prince,  and  he 
was  immediately  surrounded  by  a  pitying  and  lamenting 
crowd.  Count  Orloff  alone  had  nothing  to  say  to  him,  and 
not  the  slightest  excuse  to  make.  He  smilingly  rocked 
himself  upon  his  chair,  and  hummed  a  Kussian  popular 
song  in  praise  of  his  empress.* 

And  was  it  not  also  an  insult  for  Alexis  Orloff  now  to 
show  himself  a  friend  to  the  Jesuits,  whom  the  decree  of 
God's  vicegerent  had  outlawed  and  proscribed  ?  Was  it  not 
an  insult  that  he  loudly  and  publicly  promised  to  these  per- 
secuted Jesuits  a  kind  reception  and  efficient  protection  in 
Russia,  and  invited  them  to  found  new  communities  and 
new  cloisters  there  ? 

But  Alexis  Orloff  cared  little  for  the  dissatisfaction  of 
the  Eomans.  He  said  to  his  confidant  Stephano  :  "  There 
is  no  greater  pleasure  than  to  set  at  defiance  all  the  world, 
and  to  oppose  all  these  things  which  the  stupid  people  would 
impose  upon  us  as  laws.  The  friend  and  favorite  of  the 
Empress  Catharine  has  no  occasion  for  complying  with 
such  miserable  laws;  wherever  I  set  my  foot,  there  the 
earth  belongs  to  me,  and  I  will  forcibly  maintain  my  pre- 
tensions whenever  they  are  disputed !  In  Russia  I  am  the 
serf  of  the  empress,  in  revenge  for  which  I  will,  at  least 

*  Gorani,  vol.  ii.,  p.  23. 


ALEXIS  ORLOPF.  337 

abroad,  treat  all  the  world  as  my  serfs.  This  gives  me 
pleasure,  aud  wherefore  is  the  world  here  but  to  be  en- 
joyed?" 

"  A  little  also  for  labor,"  said  Stephano,  with  a  sly  smile. 

"  For  that  I  have  my  slaves,  for  that  I  have  also  you  ! " 
responded  Orloff,  laughing.  "  There  is  only  one  labor  for 
me  here  in  Rome,  and  that  is  to  create  as  much  disturbance 
as  possible  in  the  city ;  to  set  the  people  at  odds  with  the 
government,  so  that  they  may  have  their  hands  full,  and 
find  no  time  for  observing  our  nice  game  with  our  little 
princess,  or  to  interfere  with  it.  We  must  have  freedom  of 
action,  that  is  the  most  important.  Hence  we  must  protect 
these  pious  Jesuits,  and  offer  support  to  the  enemies  of  this 
too-enterprising  pope,  by  which  means  we  shall  ultimately 
attain  our  own  ends,  and  that  is  enough  for  us  !  " 

"  "We  have  not  yet  advanced  a  step  with  our  Princess 
Natalie,"  said  Stephano,  shrugging  his  shoulders ;  "  that,  it 
seems,  is  an  impregnable  fortress !  " 

"  It  must,  however,  yield  to  us,"  laughingly  responded 
Alexis  Orloff,  "  and  she  shall  yet  acknowledge  us  as  conquer- 
ors. We  are  undermining,  Stephano,  and  when  the  build- 
ing crushes  her  in  its  crashing  fall,  will  she  first  discover 
that  she  has  long  been  in  danger.  And  what  said  you — that 
we  have  not  yet  advanced  a  step  ?  And  yet  Rasczinsky  is 
gone,  and  we  have  known  how  to  keep  Cardinal  Bernis,  who 
would  have  interested  himself  for  the  little  one,  so  very 
much  occupied  with  the  affair  of  the  Jesuits,  that  he  has  yet 
had  no  time  to  think  of  the  princess.  Ah,  these  Jesuits  are 
very  useful  people.  We  strew  them  like  snuff  in  the  faces 
of  these  diplomatists,  and,  while  they  are  yet  rubbing  their 


338      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

weak  eyes  and  crying  out  with  pain,  we  shall  quietly  draw 
our  little  fish  into  our  net,  and  take  her  home  without  oppo- 
sition I " 

"  And  if  the  fish  will  not  go  into  the  net  ?  " 
"  It  must  go  in  ! "  impatiently  cried  Orloff.  "Bah  !  have 
I  at  the  right  time  succeeded  in  towing  our  emperor,  God 
bless  him !  into  eternity,  and  shall  I  doubt  in  the  fulness  of 
time  of  enclosing  this  beautiful  child  in  my  arms  ?  Look  at 
me,  Stephano — what  is  wanting  for  it  in  me  ?  Are  not  all 
these  beautiful  women  of  Rome  enraptured  with  the  Russian 
Hercules  ?  How,  then,  can  it  be  that  a  woman  of  my  own 
country  can  withstand  me  ?  The  preliminaries  are  the  main 
thing,  and  if  we  only  had  some  one  to  prepare  her  for  my 
appearance,  all  would  then  go  well.  And  such  a  one  we  will 
find,  thanks  to  our  rubles !  But  enough  of  politics  for  the 
present,  Stephano.  Call  my  valet.  It  is  time  for  my  toilet, 
and  that  is  a  very  important  affair." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

GORILLA. 

CoRTLLA  was  alone.  Uneasy,  full  of  stormy  thoughts, 
she  impetuously  walked  back  and  forth,  occasionally  uttering 
single  passionate  exclamations,  then  again  thoughtfully  star- 
ing at  vacancy  before  her.  She  was  a  full-blooded,  warm 
Italian  woman,  that  will  neither  love  nor  hate  with  the 
whole  soul,  and  nourishes  both  feelings  in  her  bosom  with 
equal  strength  and  with  equal  warmth.    But,  in  her,  hatred 


GORILLA.  339 

exhaled  as  quickly  as  love ;  it  was  to  her  only  the  cham- 
pagne-foam of  life,  which  she  sipped  for  the  purpose 
of  a  slight  intoxication — as  in  her  intoxication  only  did 
she  feel  herself  a  poetess,  and  in  a  condition  for  improv- 
isation. 

"  I  must  at  any  rate  be  in  love,"  said  she,  "  else  I 
should  lose  my  poetic  fame.  AVitli  cool  blood  and  a  tran- 
quil mind  there  is  no  improvising  and  poetizing.  With  me 
all  must  be  stirring  and  flaming,  every  nerve  of  my  being 
must  glow  and  tremble,  the  blood  must  flash  like  fire 
through  my  veins,  and  the  most  glowing  wishes  and  ardent 
longings,  be  it  love  or  be  it  hate,  must  be  stirring  within 
me  in  order  to  poetize  successfully.  And  this  cannot  be 
comprehended  by  delicate  and  discreet  people;  this  low 
Eoman  populace  even  venture  to  call  me  a  coquette,  only 
because  I  constantly  need  a  new  glow,  and  because  I  con- 
stantly seek  new  emotions  and  new  inspirations  for  my 

muse." 

Love,  then,  for  the  improvisatrice  Gorilla,  was  nothing 
more  than  a  strong  wine  with  which  she  refreshed  and 
strengthened  her  fatigued  poetic  powers  for  renewed  ex- 
ertions ;  it  was  in  a  manner  the  tow  which  she  threw  upon 
the  expiring  fire  of  her  fantasy,  to  make  it  flash  up  in 
clear  and  bright  flames. 

It  was  only  in  this  way  that  she  loved  Carlo,  and  wept 
for  him,  except  that  in  this  case  her  love  had  been  of  a 
longer  duration,  because  it  was  he  who  gave  up  and  left 
her  !  That  was  what  made  her  hatred  so  glowing,  that 
was  what  made  her  seek  the  life  of  the  woman  for  whom 
Carlo  had  deserted  her. 


340  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  This  is  a  new  situation,"  said  she,  "  which  I  am  called 
to  live  through  and  to  feel.  But  a  poetess  must  have  ex- 
perienced all  feelings,  or  she  could  not  describe  them. 
For  my  part,  I  do  not  believe  in  the  revelations  of  genius — 
I  believe  only  in  experiences.  One  can  describe  only  what 
one  has  felt  and  experienced.  Whoever  may  attempt  to 
describe  the  flavor  of  an  orange,  must  first  have  tasted 
it!" 

That  this  attempt  to  murder  Natalie  had  failed,  was  to 
her  a  matter  of  little  moment.  She  had  experienced  the 
emotion  of  it,  and  just  the  same  would  it  have  been  a  mat- 
ter of  indifference  to  her  had  the  dagger  pierced  Natalie's 
breast — she  was  sufficiently  a  child  of  the  South  to  consider 
a  murder  as  only  a  venial  sin,  for  which  the  priest  could 
grant  absolution. 

There  was  only  one  thing  which  exclusively  occupied 
Gorilla,  following  and  tormenting  her  day  and  night,  and 
that  was  her  poetic  fame.  She  desired  that  her  name 
should  stand  high  in  the  world,  glorified  by  all  Europe, 
and  for  this  purpose  she  desired  above  all  things  to  be 
crowned  as  a  poetess  in  the  capitol  of  the  holy  city ;  for 
this  fame  she  would  willingly  have  giverl  many  years  of  her 
life. 

That  was  the  aim  of  all  her  efforts,  and  how  much 
would  she  not  have  borne,  ventured,  and  suffered  for  its 
attainment!  How  many  intrigues  were  planned,  how 
much  cunning  and  dissimulation,  flattery,  and  hypocrisy, 
had  been  employed  for  that  purpose,  and  all,  all  as  yet  in 
vain! 

Therefore  it  was  that  Gorilla  now  wept,  and  with  occa- 


GORILLA.  341 

sional  outbreaks  of  passionate  exclamations  violently  paced 
her  room.  Her  cheeks  glowed,  her  eyes  flashed — she  was 
very  beautiful  in  this  state  of  excitement.  That  she  must 
have  acknowledged  to  herself  as  her  glance  accidentally 
encountered  her  own  face  in  the  glass. 

With  a  smile  of  satisfaction  she  remained  standing  be- 
fore the  mirror,  and  almost  angrily  she  said  : 

"  Ah,  why  am  I  now  alone,  why  does  no  one  see  me  in 
my  beautiful  glow  ?  My  face  might  now  produce  some 
effect,  and  gain  me  friends !    Why,  then,  am  I  now  alone  ?  " 

But  it  seems  that  Gorilla  had  only  to  express  a  wish  in 
order  to  see  it  suddenly  fulfilled  ;  for  the  door  was  at  that 
moment  opened,  and  a  servant  announced  Count  Alexis 
Orloff. 

Gorilla  smiled  with  delight,  and  let  that  smile  remain 
upon  her  lips,  as  she  very  well  knew  it  was  becoming 
to  her,  and  that  she  had  conquered  many  hearts  with  it ; 
but  secretly  her  heart  throbbed  with  fear,  and  timidly  she 
asked  herself,  "  What  can  that  Russian  count  want  of 
me?" 

But  with  a  cheerful  face  she  advanced  to  receive  him ; 
she  seemed  not  to  remark  that  a  dark  cloud  lay  upon  his 
brow,  and  that  his  features  bore  an  almost  threatening  ex- 
pression. 

"  He  is  a  barbarian,"  thought  she,  and  barbarians  must 
be  treated  differently  from  other  men.  I  must  flatter  this 
lion,  in  order  to  fetter  him  ! " 

"  It  is  a  serious  matter  that  brings  me  to  you,  signora," 
said  Alexis,  gloomily. 

"  A  serious  matter  ?  "  ghe  cheerfully  asked.    "  Ah,  then 


342      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

I  pity  you,  count.  It  is  difficult  to  speak  with  me  of  seri- 
ous matters ! " 

"  You  rather  do  them  ! "  said  Alexis,  carelessly  throwing 
himself  upon  a  divan.  "  You  would  not  play  with  such 
serious  things  as,  for  instance,  a  dagger,  and  therefore  you 
hurl  it  from  you,  altogether  indifferent  whether  you  there- 
by quite  accidentally  pierce  the  heart  of  another." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,  count,"  said  Gorilla,  without 
embarrassment,  but  at  the  same  time  she  looked  at  him 
with  such  a  charming  and  enticing  expression,  that  Alexis 
involuntarily  smiled. 

"  I  will  make  myself  intelligible  to  you,"  said  he,  in  a 
milder  tone.  "  You  must  understand,  that  I  know  you, 
Gorilla.  That  assassin  who  followed  the  Princess  Tartaroff 
at  the  festival  of  Gardinal  Bernis,  was  employed  by  you, 
Signora  Maddalena  Morelli  Fernandez,  called  Gorilla !  " 

"  And  what  if  it  were  true,  Signer  Alexis  Orloff,  called 
the  handsome  Northern  Hercules  ?  "  asked  she,  roguishly 
imitating  his  grave  seriousness.  "  If  it  were  really  true, 
what  further?" 

Alexis  looked  in  her  face  with  an  expression  of  astonish- 
ment.    "  You  are  wonderfully  bold  !  "  said  he. 

"  None  but  slaves  are  without  courage !  "  responded  she. 
"  Freedom  is  the  mother  of  boldness !  " 

"  You  do  not,  then,  deny  the  hiring  of  that  bravo  ?" 

"  I  only  deny  your  right  to  inquire,"  said  she. 

"  I  have  a  right  to  it,"  he  responded  with  vehemence. 
"  This  Princess  Tartaroff  is  a  subject  of  the  Empress  of 
Russia,  my  mistress,  who  watches  over  and  protects  all  her 
subjects  with  maternal  tenderness." 


CORILLA.  343 

"  That  good,  tender  empress ! "  exclaimed  Gorilla,  with 
an  ambiguous  smile.  "  But  in  order  properly  to  watch  and 
preserve  all  her  children  and  subjects,  she  should  keep 
them  in  her  own  country.  Take  this  Princess  Tartaroll  with 
you  to  Russia,  and  then  she  will  be  safe  from  our  Italian 
daggers.     Take  her  with  you  ;  that  will  be  the  best  way  !  " 

"  You,  then,  very  heartily  hate  this  poor  little  princess?" 
asked  Alexis,  laughing. 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  after  a  short  reflection,  "  I  hate  her. 
And  would  you  know  why,  signor  ?  Not  for  her  beauty, 
not  for  her  youth,  but  for  her  talents !  And  she  has  great 
talents  !  Ah,  there  was  a  time  when  I  hated  her,  although 
I  knew  her  not.  But  now,  now  it  is  different.  I  now  not 
only  hate,  but  fear  her  !  For  she  can  rival  me,  not  only  in 
love,  but  in  fame !  Ah,  you  should  have  seen  her  on  that 
evening !  She  was  like  a  swan  to  look  at,  and  her  song 
was  like  the  dying  strains  of  the  swan.  And  all  shouted 
applause,  and  all  the  women  wept ;  indeed,  I  myself  wept, 
not  from  emotion,  but  with  rage,  with  bitterness,  for  they 
had  forgotten  me — forgotten,  for  this  new  poetess ;  they 
overwhelmed  her  with  flatteries,  leaving  me  alone  and  un- 
noticed !     And  yet  you  ask  me  if  I  hate  her  !  " 

Quite  involuntarily  had  she  suffered  herself  to  be  carried 
away  by  her  own  vehemence,  her  inward  glowing  rage. 
With  secret  pleasure  Count  Orloff  read  in  her  features  that 
this  was  no  comedy  which  she  thus  improvised,  but  was 
truth  and  reality. 

"  If  you  so  think  and  feel,"  said  he,  "  then  we  may  soon 
understand  each  other,  signora.  A  real  hatred  is  of  as 
much  value  as  a  real  love ;  indeed,  often  of  much  greater. 


344      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

One  can  more  safely  confide  in  hatred,  as  it  is  more  endur- 
ing. I  will  therefore  confide  in  you,  signora,  if  you  will 
swear  to  me  to  betray  no  word  of  what  I  shall  tell  you." 

"  I  swear  it !  "  was  Gorilla's  response. 

"  Listen,  then  !  This  Princess  Tartaroff  is  an  impostor ; 
no  princely  blood  flows  in  her  veins,  and  if  she  gives  her- 
self out  to  be  a  princess,  it  is  because  she  therewith  connects 
plans  of  high-treason.  More  I  need  not  say  to  you,  except 
that  my  illustrious  empress  has  charged  me  to  bring  this 
fraudulent  princess  to  her  at  St.  Petersburg,  that  she  may 
there  receive  her  punishment !  This  I  have  sworn  to  do, 
and  must  redeem  my  promise  to  transport  her  from  here, 
without  exciting  attention,  and  without  subjecting  her  to 
any  personal  injury.  Do  you  now  comprehend  why  I 
come?" 

"  I  comprehend,"  said  Gorilla.  "  An  empress  would 
avenge  herself,  and  therefore  a  poor  poetess  must  forego 
her  own  little  private  revenge !  But  how,  if  I  should  not 
believe  a  word  of  this  long  story ;  if  I  should  consider  it  a 
fable  invented  by  you  to  assure  the  safety  of  your  princess  ?  " 

"  That  you  may  be  compelled  to  believe  it,  listen  further 
to  me." 

And  Alexis  Orloff  spoke  long  and  zealously  to  her, 
affording  her  a  glance  into  his  most  secret  intrigues,  into 
his  finely-matured  plans,  while  Gorilla  followed  him  with 
intense  expectation  and  warmly-glowing  cheeks. 

"  I  comprehend  it  all,  all ! "  said  she,  when  Alexis  had 
finally  ended ;  "  it  is  a  deep  and  at  the  same  time  an  infer- 
nal plan — a  plan  which  must  excite  the  envy  and  respect  of 
Satan  himself ! " 


GORILLA.  345 

"  And  yourself  ?  "  laughingly  asked  Alexis. 

"  Oh,  I,"  said  she — "  I  belong,  perhaps,  to  the  family  of 
devils,  and  therefore  take  pleasure  in  aiding  you !  You 
need  a  negotiator  who  has  a  wide  conscience  and  an  elo- 
quent tongue  !  I  can  furnish  you  with  such  a  one.  Ah, 
that  will  make  a  droll  story.  Said  you  not  that  the  singer 
Carlo  watched  this  golden  treasure  like  a  dragon  ?  Well,  it 
shall  be  his  brother  who  shall  contend  with  this  dragon. 
His  own  brother — will  not  that  be  pleasant,  count  ?  " 

"  And  are  you  sure  of  him  ? "  asked  Count  Orloff. 
"  How  if  his  brother  should  win  him  from  us  ? '' 

"  Have  no  anxiety ;  this  Carlo  Eibas  is  so  virtuous  that 
he  hates  no  one  so  much  as  his  brother  Joseph,  merely 
because  he  passed  some  years  in  the  galleys  for  forgery. 
He  is  now  free,  and  has  secretly  come  here.  As  he  was 
aware  that  I  knew  his  brother,  he  came  to  me  to  beg  for 
my  countenance  and  support.     I  will  send  him  to  you." 

"  And  you  will  also  not  forget  my  request,  that  you  will 
in  all  societies  speak  of  the  great  love  which  the  Empress 
Catharine  cherishes  for  her  near  relation,  the  Princess 
Tartaroff?" 

"I  will  not  forget  it.  In  your  hands,  count,  I  lay  my 
revenge — you  will  free  me  from  this  rival  ?  " 

"  That  will  I,"  said  he,  with  an  inhuman  laugh.     "  And 

when  the  work  is  completed,  and  you  have  faithfully  stood 

by  me,  then,  signora,  you  may  be  sure  of  the  gratitude  of 

the  empress.     Catharine  is  the  exalted  protectress  of  the 

muses,  and  in  the  fulness  of  her  grace  she  will  not  forget 

the  poetess  Corilla.     You  may  expect  an  imperial  reward." 

"  And  I  shall  gratefully  receive  it,"  said  Corilla,  with  a 
23 


346  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

smile.  "  A  poetess  is  always  poor  and  in  want  of  assistance. 
The  muses  lavish  upon  their  votaries  all  joys  but  those  of 
wealth." 

"  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  Gorilla,  when  the  count  had  left  her, 
"  I  shall  in  the  end  obtain  all  I  desire.  I  shall  not  only  be 
crowned  with  fame,  but  blessed  with  wealth,  which  is  a 
blessing  almost  equal  to  that  of  fame !  Money  has  already 
founded  many  a  reputation,  but  not  always  has  fame  at- 
tracted money  to  itself!  I  shall  be  rich  as  well  as  fa- 
mous ! " 

"  That  you  already  are ! "  exclaimed  the  Cardinal 
Francesco  Albani,  who  unremarked  had  just  entered  the 
room. 

"  I  am  not,"  said  she,  with  vehemence,  "  for  they  refuse 
me  the  prize  of  fame !  Have  you  been  with  the  pope,  your 
eminence,  and  what  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  I  come  directly  from  him." 

"  Well,  and  what  says  he?  " 

"  What  he  always  says  to  me — no  ! " 

Gorilla  stamped  her  feet  violently,  and  her  eyes  flashed 
lightnings. 

"  How  beautiful  you  are  now  ! "  tenderly  remarked  the 
cardinal,  throwing  an  arm  around  her. 

She  rudely  thrust  him  back.  "Touch  me  not,"  said 
she,  "  you  do  not  deserve  my  love.  You  are  a  weakling,  as 
all  men  are.  You  can  only  coo  like  a  pigeon,  but  when  it 
comes  to  action,  then  sinks  your  arm,  and  you  are  power- 
less. Ah,  the  woman  whom  you  profess  to  love  begs  of  you 
a  trifling  service,  the  performance  of  which  is  of  the  highest 
importance  to  her,  the  greatest  favor,  and  you  will  not  fulfil 


GORILLA.  347 

her  request  while  yet  swearing  you  love  her !  Go !  you  are 
a  cold-hearted  man,  and  wholly  undeserving  of  Gorilla's 
love ! " 

"  But,"  despairingly  exclaimed  the  cardinal,  you  require 
of  me  a  service  that  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  perform.  Ask 
something  else,  Gorilla — ask  a  human  life,  and  you  shall 
have  it !  But  I  cannot  give  what  is  not  mine.  You  de- 
mand a  laurel  crown,  which  only  the  pope  has  the  power  to 
bestow,  and  he  has  sworn  that  you  shall  not  have  it  so  long 
as  he  lives ! " 

"  Will  he,  then,  live  eternally  ? "  cried  Gorilla,  beside 
herself  with  rage. 

The  cardinal  gave  her  an  astonished  and  interrogating 
glance.  But  his  features  suddenly  assumed  a  wild  and  ma- 
licious expression,  and  violently  grasping  Gorilla's  hand,  he 
murmured : 

"  You  are  right !  '  Will  he,  then,  live  forever  ? '  Bah ! 
even  popes  are  mortal  men.  And  if  we  should  choose  for 
his  successor  a  man  better  disposed  toward  you  than — 
Gorilla,"  said  the  cardinal,  interrupting  himself,  and  in 
spite  of  her  resistance  pressing  her  to  his  bosom — "  Gorilla, 
swear  once  more  to  me  that  you  will  be  mine,  and  only 
mine,  as  soon  as  I  procure  your  coronation  in  the  capitol ! 
Swear  it  once  more  !  " 

She  gave  him  such  a  sweet,  enticing,  and  voluptuous 
smile  that  the  cardinal  trembled  with  desire  and  joy. 

"  When  you  in  the  capitol  adorn  Gorilla  with  the  laurel- 
crown,  then  will  she  willingly  lay  her  myrtle  crown  at  your 
feet,"  said  she,  with  a  charming  expression  of  maiden 
modesty. 


348  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

The  cardinal  again  pressed  her  passionately  to  his 
bosom. 

"You  shall  have  the  laurel  crown,  and  your  myrtle 
crown  is  mine  !  "  he  excitedly  exclaimed.  "  You  will  soon 
see  whether  Francesco  is  a  cold-hearted  man !  Farewell, 
Gorilla ! " 

And  with  a  hasty  salute  he  left  the  room.  The  aston- 
ished Gorilla  dismissed  him  with  a  smile. 

"  If  it  is  to  succeed  at  all,  it  can  be  only  through  him," 
said  she.  "  Poor  Francesco,  he  will  bring  me  a  full  laurel 
crown!  And  what  can  I  give  him  in  return?  An  exfoli- 
ated myrtle  crown,  that  is  all !     No  heart  with  it ! " 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE   HOLY   CHAFFEKERS. 

Cardinal  Francesco  Albani,  meantime,  hastened 
through  the  -streets  with  the  sprightliness  of  youth.  He 
noticed  neither  the  respectful  salutations  and  knee-bendings 
of  those  he  passed,  nor  their  visible  shuddering  and  alarm 
when  under  the  cardinal's  hat  they  recognized  the  fierce 
and  inhuman  Francesco  Albani. 

He  stopped  before  the  palace  of  Cardinal  Juan  Angelo 
Braschi.  The  equipage  of  the  new  cardinal  was  drawn  up 
before  his  door. 

"  Ah,"  gleefully  remarked  Albani,  "  he  is  therefore  yet 
at  home,  and  I  shall  meet  with  him ! " 

Hastily  entering  the  palace,  and  pushing  past  the  sery- 


THE   HOLY  CHAFPERERS.  349 

ant  who  would  have  preceded  him,  he  entered  the  cardinal's 
cabinet  unannounced. 

"  Be  not  troubled,  your  eminence,"  said  Albani,  with  a 
smile,  "  I  will  not  detain  you  long.  I  know  your  habits, 
and  know  that  Siguora  Malveda  usually  expects  you  at  this 
hour,  because  Cardinal  Rezzonico  is  not  then  with  her ! 
But  I  have  something  important  to  say  to  you.  You  know 
I  am  a  man  who,  without  forms  and  circumlocutions,  al- 
ways come  directly  to  the  point.  I  do  so  now.  You  desire 
to  be  the  successor  of  Ganganelli  ?  " 

Braschi  turned  pale,  and  timidly  cast  down  his  eyes. 

"  Why  are  you  shocked  ?  "  cried  Albani.  "  Every  cardi- 
nal hopes  and  wishes  to  become  the  father  of  Christendom — 
that  is  natural ;  I  should  also  wish  it  for  myself,  but  I  know 
that  that  cannot  be.  I  have  permitted  these  lord  cardinals 
who,  in  the  conclave,  invoke  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  look  too 
much  into  my  cards.  I  was  not  so  prudent  as  you,  Braschi, 
and  therefore  you  are  much  the  more  likely  to  become  God's 
vicegerent !  Would  you  not  like  to  be  pope,  if  Ganganelli 
should  happen  to  die?  And  how  high  would  you  hold  my 
voice — how  much  would  it  be  worth  to  you  ?  " 

"  More  than  all  I  possess,  infinitely  more ! "  said  the 
shrewd  Braschi.  "  Were  I  sure  of  your  voice,  I  might  then 
have  a  definite  hope  of  becoming  a  pope  ;  for  your  voice 
carries  many  others  with  it.  How,  then,  can  you  expect 
me  to  estimate  what  is  inestimable  ?  " 

"Would  you  give  me  twenty  thousand?"  asked  Al- 
bani.* 

*  Gorani  (vol.  ii.,  p.  131)  says  of  this  cardinal :  "  He  is  excessively 
vindictive,  and  keeps  in  his  pay  many  so-called  bravi,  to  whom  he  de- 


350  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Threefold  that  sum  if  I  possessed  it,  but  I  have  noth- 
ing !  I  am  a  very  poor  cardinal,  as  you  well  know.  My 
whole  property  consists  of  six  thousand  scudi,  and  that 
trifling  sum  I  dare  not  offer  you." 

"  Borrow,  then,  of  Signora  Malveda ! "  said  Albani. 
"  Cardinal  Eezzonico  is  rich  and  liberal.  Let  us  speak 
directly  to  the  point.  You  would  be  pope,  and  I  am 
willing  to  forward  your  views.  How  much  will  you 
pay?" 

"  If  Signora  Malveda  will  lend  me  four  thousand  scudi, 
I  should  then  have  ten  thousand  to  offer  you ! " 

"  Well,  so  be  it !  Ten  thousand  scudi  will  do,  if  you 
will  add  to  it  a  trifling  favor." 

"  Name  it,"  said  Braschi. 

"  You  know  that  Ganganelli  opposes  the  crowning  of 
our  famous  improvisatrice,  Gorilla,  in  the  capitol.  This  is 
an  injustice  which  Ganganelli's  successor  will  have  to  re- 
pair.   Will  you  doit?" 

Braschi  gave  the  cardinal  a  sly  glance.  "  Ah,"  said  he, 
"  Signora  Gorilla  seems  to  be  less  liberal  than  Signora 
Malveda?  She  will  allow  you  no  discount  of  her  future 
laurel-crown,  is  it  not  so  ?  I  know  nothing  worse  than  an 
ambitious  woman.  Listen,  Albani ;  it  seems  that  we  must 
be  mutually  useful  to  each  other ;  I  need  your  voice  to  be- 
come pope,  and  you  need  mine  to  become  a  favored  lover. 
Very  well,  give  me  your  voice,  and  in  return  I  promise  you 

putes  his  vengeances.  Miscreants  find  protection  with  him,  and  he 
admits  them  to  his  table,  that  they  may  always  be  in  readiness  to 
execute  his  bloody  commands.  With  this  cruelty  he  is  also  avari- 
cious, and  sells  his  protection ;  whence  his  palace  serves  as  a  refuge 
for  bankrupts  and  murderers." 


THE  HOLY   CHAFFERERS.  351 

a  laurel-crown  for  Signora  Gorilla,  and  eight  thousand  scudi 
for  yourself ! " 

"  Ah,  you  would  haggle  ! "  contemptuously  exclaimed 
Albani.  "  You  would  be  a  very  niggardly  vicegerent  of 
God  !  But  as  Gorilla  is  well  worth  two  thousand  scudi,  I 
am  content.  Give  me  eight  thousand  scudi  and  the  promise 
to  crown  Gorilla !  " 

"  As  soon  as  I  am  pope,  I  will  do  both.  My  sacred  word 
for  it !  Shall  I  strengthen  my  promise  by  swearing  upon 
the  Bible?" 

Cardinal  Albani  gave  the  questioner  a  glance  of  aston- 
ishment, and  then  broke  out  with  a  loud  and  scornful 
laugh. 

"  You  forget  that  you  are  speaking  to  one  of  your  kind ! 
Of  what  use  would  such  a  holy  farce  be  to  us  who  have 
no  faith  in  its  binding  power  ?  No,  no,  we  priests  know 
each  other.  Such  buffoonery  amounts  to  nothing.  One 
written  word  is  worth  a  thousand  sworn  oaths !  Let  us 
have  a  contract  prepared — that  is  better.  We  will  both 
sign  it ! " 

"  Just  as  you  please ! "  said  Braschi,  with  a  smile,  step- 
ping to  his  writing  desk  and  rapidly  throwing  some  lines 
upon  paper,  which  he  signed  after  it  had  been  carefully 
read  by  Albani. 

"At  length  the  business  is  finished,"  said  Albani. 
"  Now,  Cardinal  Braschi,  go  to  your  signora,  and  surprise 
her  with  the  news  that  she  holds  in  her  arms  a  pope  in  spe. 
Pope  element  will  soon  need  a  successor ;  he  must  be  very 
ill,  the  poor  pope !  " 

So  speaking,  he  took  leave  of  the  future  pope  with  a 


352  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

friendly  nod,  and  departed  with  as  much  haste  as  he  had 
come. 

"  And  now  to  these  pious  Jesuit  fathers !  "  said  he,  step- 
ping out  upon  the  grass.  "  It  was  very  prudent  in  me  that 
I  went  on  foot  to  Gorilla  to-day.  Our  cursed  equipages 
betray  every  thing ;  they  are  the  greatest  of  chatterboxes ! 
How  astonished  these  good  Eomans  would  be  to  see  a  car- 
dinal's carriage  before  these  houses  of  the  condemned ! 
No,  no,  strengthen  yourselves  for  another  effort,  my  rever- 
end legs !    Only  yet  this  walk,  and  then  you  will  have  rest." 

And  the  cardinal  trudged  stoutly  on  until  he  reached 
the  Jesuit  college.  There  he  stopped  and  looked  cautiously 
around  him. 

"  This  unfortunate  saintly  dress  is  also  a  hindrance," 
murmured  he.  "Like  the  sign  over  a  shop-door  it  pro- 
claims to  all  the  world :  '  I  am  a  cardinal.  Here  indul- 
gences, dispensations,  and  God's  blessings  are  to  be  sold ! 
Who  will  buy,  who  will  buy  ? '  I  dare  not  now  enter  this 
scouted  and  repudiated  sacred  house.  I  might  be  re- 
marked, suspected,  and  betrayed.  Gorilla,  dear,  beautiful 
woman,  it  costs  me  much  pains  and  many  efforts  to  con- 
quer you ;  will  your  possession  repay  me  ?  " 

The  cardinal  patiently  waited  in  the  shadow  of  a  taxus- 
bush  until  the  street  became  for  a  moment  empty  and  soli- 
tary. Then  he  hastened  to  a  side-door  of  the  building, 
and,  sure  of  being  unobserved,  entered. 

A  deep  and  quiet  silence  pervaded  these  long  and  de- 
serted cloister-passages.  It  seemed  as  if  a  death-veil  lay 
upon  the  whole  building— as  if  it  were  depopulated,  deso- 
lated.    Nowhere  the  least  trace  of  that  busy,  stirring  life, 


THE  HOLY   CHAFFERERS.  363 

usually  prevailing  in  these  corridors — no  longer  those 
bands  of  scholars  that  formerly  peopled  these  passages — 
the  doors  of  the  great  school-room  open,  the  benches  un- 
occupied, the  lecturer's  chair,  from  which  the  pious  fathers 
formerly  with  such  subtle  wisdom  explained  and  defended 
their  dangerous  doctrines,  these  also  are  desolate.  The 
reign  of  the  Jesuits  was  over ;  Ganganelli  had  thrust  them 
from  the  throne,  and  they  cursed  him  as  their  murderer ! 
He  had  suppressed  their  sacred  order,  he  had  commanded 
them  to  lay  aside  their  peculiar  costume  and  adopt  that  of 
other  monkish  orders,  or  the  usual  dress  of  abbes.  But 
from  their  property  he  had  not  been  able  to  expel  them  in 
this  college  II  Jesu — within  their  cloisters  his  power  had 
not  been  able  to  penetrate.  There  they  remained,  what 
they  had  been,  the  holy  fathers  of  Jesus,  the  pious  defend- 
ers of  craft  and  Christian  deception,  the  cunning  advocates 
of  regicide,  the  proud  servants  of  the  only  salvation-dis- 
pensing Church! — there,  with  rage  in  their  hearts,  they 
meditated  plans  of  vengeance  against  this  criminal  pope 
who  had  condemned  them  to  a  living  death ;  who,  like  a 
wicked  magician,  had  changed  their  sacred  college  into  an 
open  grave !  He  had  killed  them,  and  he,  should  he  never- 
theless live? 

With  these  fatal  questions  did  the  holy  fathers  occupy 
themselves,  reflecting  upon  them  in  their  gloomy  leisure, 
and  in  low  whisperings  consulting  with  their  prior.  And 
in  such  secret  consultation  did  Cardinal  Francesco  Albani 
find  the  prior  with  his  confidant  in  the  refectorium. 

"  Do  not  let  me  disturb  you,"  he  said,  laughing;  "  I  see 
by  your  faces  you  are  engaged  in  conversation  upon  the 


354  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

subject  in  which  I  yesterday  took  a  part.  That  is  very  well 
— we  can  resume  it  where  we  yesterday  broke  off,  and  again 
knot  the  threads  which  I  yesterday  so  violently  rent.  With 
which  knot  shall  we  begin  ?  " 

The  eyes  of  the  pious  Jesuit  father  flashed  with  joy.  Fran- 
cesco Albani  was  inclined  to  favor  their  plans  and  wishes ; 
they  saw  that  in  his  cunning  smile,  in  his  return  to  them. 

"  We  were  speaking  of  the  sacred  and  important  duty 
you  will  have  to  perform  to-morrow,  your  eminence,"  said 
the  prior,  with  a  winning  smile. 

"  Ah,  yes,  I  remember,"  said  the  cardinal,  with  apparent 
indifference.  "  We  spoke  of  the  to-morrow's  communion 
of  his  holiness  the  pope." 

"  And  of  the  fact  that  you,  your  eminence,  would  to- 
morrow have  to  discharge  the  important  duty  of  pouring 
the  sacred  wine  into  the  golden  chalice  of  the  vicegerent  of 
God,"  said  the  prior, 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  now  remember  it  all,"  said  Albani,  with  a 
smile.  "  You  spoke  to  me  of  a  wonderful  flask  of  wine, 
which,  by  means  of  the  golden  tube,  you  would  gladly  help 
to  the  honor  of  being  drunk  by  his  holiness  from  the  com- 
munion chalice." 

"  It  is  so  precious  a  wine  that  only  the  vicegerent  of  God 
is  worthy  of  wetting  his  lips  with  it.  It  must  touch  the 
lips  of  no  other  mortal !  " 

"  I  know  such  a  wine,"  said  Albani ;  "  it  thrives  best  in 
the  region  of  Naples,*  and  whoever  drinks  of  it  becomes  a 
partaker  of  eternal  blessedness." 

*  The  celebrated  poison,  Acqua   Tofana,  is    prepared    only  in 
Naples. 


THE   HOLY  CHAFPERERS.  355 

"  Yes,  you  are  right,  it  is  a  wonderfully  strengthening 
wine  ! "  said  the  prior,  folding  his  hands  and  directing  his 
eyes  toward  the  heavens.  "We  thank  God  that  He  has 
left  us  in  possession  of  so  precious  an  essence !  The  pope, 
they  say,  is  suffering  and  needs  strengthening.  See  how 
closely  we  follow  the  teaching  of  Him  whose  name  we  bear, 
and  who  has  commanded,  '  Love  your  enemies,  bless  those 
who  curse  you  ! '  Instead  of  avenging  ourselves,  we  would 
be  his  benefactors,  and  refresh  him  with  the  most  precious 
of  what  we  possess  !  " 

"  And  you  would  be  so  unselfish  as  to  keep  from  him  all 
knowledge  of  your  benevolence,  you  would  bless  him  quite 
secretly !  But  how  if  I  should  betray  you,  and  communicate 
your  precious  secret  to  his  holiness  the  pope  ?  Yes,  yes,  I 
shall  open  my  mouth  and  speak,  unless  I  am  prevented  by 
a  golden  lock  put  upon  my  lips." 

"  We  shall  willingly  apply  such  a  lock  ! "  said  the  pleased 
prior. 

"  But,  that  it  may  entirely  close  my  mouth,  the  lock 
will  need  to  be  very  heavy!"  responded  Albani,  with  a 
laugh. 

"  It  is  so — it  weighs  six  thousand  scudi ! "  said  the  prior. 

"  That  is  much  too  light ! "  exclaimed  Albani,  laughing ; 
"  it  will  hardly  cover  my  mouth.  It  still  remains  that  I 
am  to  undertake  a  very  hazardous  affair.  Reflect,  if  any 
one  should  discover  my  possession  of  this  strange  wine ;  if 
Gangauelli  should  perceive  that  it  is  not  wine  from  his  own 
cellar  that  I  have  poured  into  the  cup  for  him !  It  is  dan- 
gerous work  that  you  would  assign  to  me,  a  work  for  which 
I  might  lose  my  head,  and  you  venture  to  offer  me  a  poor 


356  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

six  thousand  scudi  for  it !  Adieu,  then,  pious  fathers,  keep 
you  your  golden  lock,  and  I  my  unclosed  lips.  I  shall  know 
when  and  where  to  speak  ! " 

And  the  cardinal  moved  toward  the  door.  Hastening 
after  him,  the  prior  handed  him  a  small  flask,  the  contents 
of  which  were  clear  and  pure  as  crystal  water,  timidly  and 
anxiously  whispering,  "  Ten  drops  of  this  in  Ganganelli's 
communion  wine,  and  ten  thousand  scudi  are  yours ! " 

"  Give  the  ten  thousand  scudi  at  once ! "  said  Albani, 
with  decision. 

"And  the  drops?" 

"  The  pope's  wine  is  too  strong :  I  will  reduce  it  a  little 
with  this  pure  water.* 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

"SIC  TRANSIT  GLORIA   MUNDI." 

On  the  following  day  there  was  a  solemn  high  office  in 
St.  Peter's.  All  Eome  flocked  there,  to  see  this  great  and 
touching  spectacle.  '  A  dense  crowd  thronged  the  streets, 
and  all  shouted  and  cried  when  the  pope,  surrounded  by 
his  Swiss  guard,  appeared  in  their  midst  in  his  gilded  arm- 
chair, and  received  the  greetings  of  the  people  with  a  bland 
smile. 

*  The  poison,  Acqua  Tofana,  is  pure  and  clear  as  water,  without 
taste  or  smell.  It  is  prepared  from  opium  and  Spanish  flies,  combined 
with  some  other  ingredients,  which,  however,  are  only  known  to  the 
makers  of  it.  That  the  Acqua  Tofana  is  made  from  the  foam  some- 
times found  upon  the  lips  of  the  dying,  is  an  idle  tale.  Allessandro 
Borgia  was  the  first  to  bring  it  into  use. 


"SIC  TRANSIT  GLORIA   MUNDI."  357 

Toward  St.  Peter's  waved  the  human  throng,  and  to  St. 
Peter's  the  pope^  was  borne.  The  features  of  Ganganelli 
had  an  expression  of  sadness,  and  as  he  now  glanced  down 
upon  the  thousands  of  his  subjects  who,  shouting,  followed 
him,  he  asked  in  his  heart,  "  Who  among  you  will  be  my 
murderers  ?  And  how  long  will  you  yet  allow  me  to  live  ? 
Ah,  were  I  yet  the  poor  Franciscan  monk  I  was,  then  no 
one  would  take  the  pains  to  assassinate  me.  Why,  then, 
does  the  world,  precisely  now,  seem  so  fair  to  me,  now, 
when  I  know  that  I  must  leave  it  so  soon  ?  "  And  the  pope 
shed  a  secret  tear  while,  surrounded  by  royal  splendor,  he 
imparted  his  blessing  to  the  thousands  who  reverently  knelt 
at  his  feet. 

The  bells  rang,  the  organ  resounded,  the  wide  halls  of 
St.  Peter's  were  penetrated  by  the  marvellous  singing  of  the 
Sistine  chapel.  Thousands  and  thousands  of  wax  tapers 
lighted  the  noble  space  of  the  church,  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  people  pressed  into  the  sacred  halls.  Under  his 
canopy,  opposite  the  high  altar,  sat  the  vicegerent  of  God 
upon  his  golden  throne,  surrounded  by  the  consecrated  car- 
dinals and  bishops,  protected  by  the  Swiss  guard !  Who 
could  have  ventured  to  attack  the  holy  father — who  would 
have  been  so  foolhardy  as  to  attempt  to  penetrate  that  thick 
wall  of  Swiss  guards  and  princes  of  the  Church — who  could 
have  been  successful  in  such  an  attempt?  No  human  be- 
ing! But  where  the  people  could  not  penetrate,  where 
there  was  no  room  for  the  swinging  of  a  dagger,  there  the 
malignant  poison  lurked  unseen  ! 

Ganganelli  sat  upon  his  golden  throne,  intoxicated  by 
the  clang  of  the  organ  and  charmed  by  the  singing  of  the 


358  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

high  choir,  and  the  pope,  looking  down  upon  the  human 
crowd,  again  asked  himself :  "  Who  ampng  you  are  my 
murderers  ?  " 

The  singing  ceased,  the  organ  was  silent,  and  only  the 
solemn  tones  of  all  the  bells  of  St.  Peter's  resounded 
through  the  church.  A  death-like  stillness  else ;  the  peo- 
ple lay  upon  their  knees  and  crossed  themselves ;  before  the 
altar  kneeling  priests  murmured  prayers. 

It  was  a  solemn,  a  sublime  moment,  for  the  pope  must 
now  receive  the  communion — the  vicegerent  of  God  must 
drink  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  But  still  the  pope  remains 
sacred ;  he  cannot,  like  other  mortals,  make  use  of  his 
earthly  feet ;  he  must  not,  like  them,  approach  the  altar. 
Sitting  upon  his  throne,  he  has  partaken  of  the  holy  wafer, 
and,  as  it  was  unbecoming  his  dignity  to  descend  to  the 
altar  in  order  to  come  to  Christ,  the  latter  must  decide  to 
come  to  him ! 

The  golden  chalice  at  the  high  altar  contains  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb ;  the  Cardinal  Francesco  Albani  performs  the 
holy  office.  He  has  blessed  the  host,  and  under  his  conse- 
crated hand  will  now  be  effected  the  miracle  of  turning  the 
wine  into  the  blood  of  Christ ! 

And  Cardinal  Albani  lays  the  golden  tube  in  the  cup, 
and  another  cardinal  passes  the  other  end  of  the  tube  to  the 
pope. 

Through  this  sacred  tube  will  he  sip  the  consecrated 
wine,  the  blood  of  the  Redeemer ! 

Rushing  and  thundering  recommences  the  high  office, 
the  trumpets  renew  their  blasts,  the  drums  roll,  the  bells 
ring,  the  organ  rattles  its  song  of  jubilee,  the  trombones 


"SIC  TRANSIT  GLORIA  MUNDI."  359 

crash  in  unison.  It  is  the  greatest,  most  sublime  moment 
of  the  whole  ceremony.  The  pope,  having  put  the  golden 
tube  to  his  lips,  sips  the  wine  changed  into  blood. 

While  the  pope  drinks  the  two  cardinals  who  to-day  are 
on  service  approach  the  sacred  throne.  They  hold  a  torch 
in  the  right  hand  and  a  small  bundle  of  tow  in  the  left,  and 
according  to  the  custom,  set  the  tow  on  fire. 

It  flashes  up  in  a  bright  flame,  is  soon  extinguished,  and 
a  small,  almost  imperceptible  quantity  of  ashes  floats  from 
it  to  the  feet  of  the  pope. 

^^  Sic  transit  gloria  mundi!''''  (So  passes  the  glory  of 
the  world !)  exclaimed  Francesco  Albani,  with  proud  pre- 
sumptuousness  and  with  maliciously  scornful  glances,  while 
with  an  expression  of  savage  triumph  he  stares  in  the  paling 
face  of  the  pope.  '•'' Sic  transit  gloria  wmw^^t .'"  repeated 
Albani,  in  a  yet  louder  and  more  thundering  voice. 

The  bells  ring,  the  hymn  resounds,  the  trombone  and 
organ  clang ;  the  audience  are  on  their  knees  in  prayer.  A 
bustle  arises,  a  suppressed  murmur — the  holy  father  of 
Christendom  has  fainted  upon  his  throne  like  any  common 
mortal  man. 

He  has  had  a  vision,  the  poor  pope!  It  seemed  to  him 
that  he  had  seen  the  face  of  his  murderer,  and,  as  his  sen- 
tence of  death,  resounded  the  scoffing  words  of  Albani: 
"  Sic  transit  gloria  mundi  I " 


360  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

THE   VAPO. 

Since  Paulo  had  left  her,  and  she  found  herself  alone, 
Natalie  felt  sad,  solitary,  in  the  paradise  that  surrounded 
her.  No  longer  did  she  sing  in  emulation  of  the  birds,  no 
longer  did  she  hop  with  youthful  delight  and  the  impetu- 
osity of  a  young  roe  through  the  charming  alleys.  Sadly, 
and  with  downcast  eyes,  sat  she  under  the  myrtle  bush  by 
the  murmuring  fountains,  and  frequent  heavy  sighs  heaved 
her  laboring  breast. 

"  All  is  changed,  all ! "  she  often  thoughtfully  said  to 
herself.  "A  great  and  terrible  secret  has  been  unveiled 
within  me — the  secret  of  my  utter  abandonment !  I  have 
no  one  on  earth  to  whom  I  belong !  Once  I  never  thought 
of  that.  Paulo  was  all  to  me,  my  friend,  my  father,  my 
brother ;  but  Paulo  has  abandoned  me,  I  belong  not  to  him, 
and  hence  I  could  not  go  with  him.  And  who  is  left  to 
me  ?  Carlo  !  "  she  answered  herself  in  a  low  tone,  and  with 
a  melancholy  smile.  "  But  Carlo  has  not  filled  the  void 
that  Paulo's  absence  has  left  in  my  heart.  At  first  I 
thought  he  could,  but  that  was  only  a  short  deception. 
Carlo  is  good  and  kind,  always  devoted,  always  ready  to 
serve  me.  He  always  conforms  himself  to  my  will,  is  all 
subjection,  all  obedience.  But  that  is  terrible,  unbear- 
able!" exclaimed  the  almost  weeping  young  maiden. 
"  Who,  then,  shall  I  obey,  before  whom  shall  I  tremble, 
when  all  obey  me  and  tremble  before  me?  And  yet«Carlo 
is  a  man.     No,"  said  she,  quite  low ;  "  were  he  so  I  should 


THE  VAPO.  351 

then  obey  him,  and  not  he  me ;  then  would  he  give  me 
commands,  and  not  I  him !  No,  Carlo  is  no  man — Paulo 
was  80  !     Where  art  thou,  my  friend,  my  father?  " 

And  the  young  maiden  yearningly  spread  her  arms  in 
the  air,  calling  upon  her  distant  friend  with  tender,  low- 
whispered  words  and  heartfelt  longings. 

But  the  days  slowly  passed,  and  still  no  news  came  from . 
him.  Natalie  dreamily  and  sadly  sank  deeper  into  herself  ; 
her  cheeks  paled,  her  step  became  less  light  and  elastic. 
In  vain  did  her  true  friends,  Marianne  and  Carlo,  exhaust 
themselves  in  projects  and  propositions  for  her  distraction 
and  amusement. 

"  You  should  go  into  the  world  and  amuse  yourself  in 
society,  princess,"  said  Carlo. 

"  I  hate  the  world  and  society,"  said  Natalie.  "  People 
are  all  bad,  and  I  abominate  them.  What  had  I  done  to 
these  people,  how  had  I  offended  them  even  in  thought, 
and  yet  they  would  have  murdered  me  the  very  first  time  I 
appeared  among  them  ?  No,  no,  leave  me  here  in  my 
solitude,  where  I  at  least  have  not  to  tremble  for  my  life, 
where  I  have  Carlo  to  guard  and  protect  me." 

The  singer  pressed  the  proffered  hand  to  his  lips. 

"  Then  let  us  at  least  make  some  excursions  in  the 
environs  of  Rome,"  said  he. 

"  No,"  said  she,  "  I  should  everywhere  long  to  be  back 
in  my  garden.  Nowhere  is  it  so  beautiful  as  here.-  Leave 
me  my  paradise — why  would  you  drive  me  from  it  ?  " 

"  Alas  ! "  despairingly  exclaimed  Carlo,  "  you  call  your- 
-  self  happy  and  satisfied  ;  why,  then,  are  you  so  sad  ?  " 

"  Am  I  sad  ?  "  she  asked,  with  surprise.     "  No,  Carlo,  I 

24 


362  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

am  not  sad !  I  sometimes  dream,  nothing  more !  Let  me 
yet  dream ! " 

"  You  will  die,"  thought  Carlo,  and  with  an  effort  he 
forced  back  the  cry  of  despair  that  pressed  to  his  lips ;  but 
his  cheeks  paled,  and  his  whole  form  trembled. 

Seeing  it,  Natalie  shook  off  her  apathy,  and  with  a 
lively  sympathy  and  tender  friendship  she  inquired  the 
cause  of  his  disquiet.  She  was  so  near  him  that  her  breath 
fanned  his  cheek,  and  her  locks  touched  his  brow. 

"  Ah,  you  would  kill  me,  you  would  craze  me  !  "  mur- 
mured he,  sorrowfully,  sinking  down,  powerless,  at  her  feet. 

She  looked  wonderingly  at  him.  "  Why  are  you  angry 
with  me  ? "  she  innocently  said,  "  and  what  have  I  done, 
that  you  so  wrongfully  accuse  me  ?  " 

"  What  have  you  done  ?  "  cried  he,  beside  himself, — the 
moment  had  overcome  him,  this  moment  had  burst  the 
bands  with  which  he  had  bound  his  heart,  and  in  un- 
fettered freedom,  in  glowing  passion,  his  long-concealed 
secret  forced  its  way  to  his  lips.  He  must  at  length  for 
once  speak  of  his  sorrows,  even  if  death  should  follow ;  he 
must  give  expression  to  his  torment  and  his  love,  even 
should  Natalie  banish  him  forever  from  her  presence  ! 

"  What  have  you  done  ?  "  repeated  he.  "  Ah,  she  does 
not  even  know  that  she  is  slowly  murdering  me,  she  does 
not  even  know  that  I  love  her  !  " 

"  Am  I  not  to  know  ? "  she  reproachfully  asked. 
"  Would  you,  indeed,  have  saved  my  life  had  you  not  loved 
me  ?  Carlo,  I  am  indebted  to  you  for  my  life,  and  you  say 
I  murder  you  !  " 

"Yes,"  he  frowardly  exclaimed,   "you    murder    me! 


THE  VAPO.  363 

Slowly,  day  by  day,  hour  by  hour,  am  I  consumed  by  this 
frightful  internal  fire  that  is  destroying  me.  Ah,  you  know 
not  that  you  are  killing  me.  And  have  you  not  destroyed 
my  youthful  strength,  and  from  a  man  converted  me  into 
an  old,  trembling,  and  complaining  woman  ?  Is  it  not  for 
your  sake  that  I  have  fled  the  world,  leaving  behind  me  all 
it  offered  of  fame  and  wealth  and  honor  ?  Is  it  not  your 
fault  that  I  have  ceased  to  be  a  free  man,  to  have  a  will  of 
my  own,  and  have  become  a  slave  crawling  at  your  feet  ? 
Ah,  woe  is  me,  that  I  ever  came  to  know  you  !  You  are  an 
enchantress,  you  have  made  me  your  hound,  and,  whining, 
I  lie  in  the  dust  before  you,  satisfied  when  you  touch  me 
with  your  foot." 

At  first,  Natalie  had  listened  to  him  with  terror  and 
astonishment ;  then  an  expression  of  noble  pride  was  to  be 
read  upon  her  features,  a  glowing  flush  flitted  over  her 
delicate  cheeks,  and  with  flashing  eyes  and  a  heaving  bosom 
she  sprang  up  from  her  seat.  Proud  as  a  queen  she  rose 
erect,  the  blood  of  her  ancestors  awoke  in  her ;  she  at  this 
moment  felt  herself  free  as  an  empress,  as  proud,  as  secure 
— and,  stretching  her  arm  toward  the  outlet  of  the  garden, 
she  said  in  a  determined  tone  :  "  Go,  Signor  Carlo  !  Leave 
me,  I  tell  you !  We  have  no  longer  any  thing  in  common 
with  each  other  !  " 

Carlo  seemed  as  if  awakened  from  a  delirium.  Breath- 
less, with  widely-opened  eyes,  trembling  and  anxious,  he 
stared  at  the  angry  maiden.  He  knew  nothing  of  what  he 
had  said  ;  he  comprehended  not  her  anger,  only  his  infinite 
suffering ;  he  was  conscious  only  of  his  long-suppressed, 
long-concealed  secret  love.     And,  grasping  Natalie's  hands 


364      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

with  an  imploring  expression,  he  constrained  the  young 
maiden,  almost  against  her  will,  to  remain  and  reseat  her- 
self upon  the  grassy  bank  before  which  he  knelt. 

As  he  looked  up  to  her  with  those  glowing,  passionate 
glances,  a  maiden  fear  and  trembling  for  the  first  time 
came  over  her,  an  anxiety  and  timidity  inexplicable  to  her- 
self !  Her  delicate,  transparent  cheeks  paled,  tears  filled 
her  eyes,  and,  folding  her  hands  with  a  childishly  supplicat- 
ing expression,  she  said  in  a  low,  tremulous  tone :  "  My 
God,  my  God !  Have  mercy  upon  me  !  I  am  a  wholly 
abandoned,  solitary  orphan !  Rescue  me  yet  from  this 
trouble  and  distress,  from  this  terrible  loneliness  ! " 

"  Fear  nothing,  my  charming  angel,"  whispered  Carlo, 
"  I  will  be  gentle  as  a  lamb,  and  patient,  very  patient  in  my 
sorrow  ;  I  have  sworn  it  and  will  keep  my  oath  !  But  you 
must  hear  me  !  You  must,  only  this  one  time,  allow  me  to 
express  in  words  my  love  and  my  sorrow,  my  misery  and 
my  ecstasy.  Will  you  allow  me  this,  my  lily,  my  beautiful 
swan?" 

He  would  have  again  grasped  her  hand,  but  she  with- 
drew it  with  a  proud,  angry  glance. 

"  Speak  on,"  said  she,  wearily  leaning  her  hand  against 
the  myrtle-bush.     "  Speak  on,  I  will  listen  to  you  !  " 

And  he  spoke  to  her  of  his  love  ;  he  informed  her  of  his 
former  life,  his  poverty,  his  want,  his  connection  with 
Gorilla,  whom  he  had  quitted  in  order  to  devote  himself 
wholly  to  her,  to  obey,  serve,  and  worship  her  all  his  life, 
and,  if  necessary,  to  die  for  her !  "  But  you,"  he  despair- 
ingly said,  "  you  know  not  love  !  Your  heart  is  cold  for 
earthly  love ;  like  the  angels  in  heaven,  you  love  only  the 


THE  VAPO.  365 

good  and  the  sublime,  you  love  mankind  collectively,  but 
not  the  individual.  Ah,  Natalie,  you  have  the  heart  of  an 
angel,  but  not  the  heart  of  a  woman  !  " 

The  young  maiden  had  half  dreamingly  listened  to  him, 
her  head  leaned  back  and  her  glance  directed  toward  the 
heavens.  She  now  smiled,  and,  with  an  inimitable  grace, 
laying  her  hand  upon  her  bosom,  said  in  a  very  low  tone : 
"  And  yet  I  feel  that  a  woman's  heart  is  beating  there.  But 
it  sleeps !     Who  will  one  day  come  to  awaken  it  ?  " 

Carlo  did  not  understand  these  low  whispered  words; 
he  understood  only  his  own  passion,  his  own  consuming 
glow.  And  anew  he  commenced  his  love-plaiuings,  de- 
scribed to  her  the  torments  and  fierce  joys  of  an  unreturned 
love,  which  is  yet  too  strong  and  overpowering  to  be  sup- 
pressed. And  Natalie  listened  to  him  with  a  dreamy 
thoughtfulness.  His  words  sounded  in  her  ears  like  a  won- 
derful song  from  a  strange,  distant  world  which  she  knew 
not,  but  the  description  of  which  filled  her  heart  with  a 
sweet  longing,  and  she  could  have  wept,  without  knowing 
whether  it  was  for  sorrow  or  joy. 

"  Thus,  Natalie,"  at  length  said  Carlo,  entirely  exhausted 
and  pale  with  emotion — "  thus  love  I  you.  You  must 
sometime  have  learned  it,  and  have  known  that  even  angels 
cannot  mingle  with  mortals  unloved  and  unpunished.  I 
should  finally  have  been  compelled  to  tell  you  that  you 
might  torture  no  longer,  in  cruel  ignorance ;  that  you,  learn- 
ing to  understand  your  own  heart,  might  tell  me  whether  I 
have  to  hope,  or  only  to  fear !  " 

"Poor  Carlo  ! "  murmured  Natalie,  "  You  love  me,  but 
I  do  not  love  you !    This  has  even  now  become  clear  to  me ; 


366      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

and  while  you  have  so  glowingly  described  the  passion,  I 
have  for  the  first  time  comprehended  that  I  yet  know  noth- 
ing of  that  love,  and  that  I  can  never  learn  it  of  you !  This 
is  a  misfortune,  Carlo,  but  as  we  cannot  change,  we  must 
submit  to  it." 

Carlo  drooped  his  head  and  sighed.  He  had  no  answer 
to  make,  and  only  murmuringly  repeated  her  words :  "  Yes, 
we  must  submit  to  it !  " 

"  And  why  can  we  not  ?  "  she  almost  cheerfully  asked, 
with  that  childlike  innocence  which  never  once  compre- 
hended the  sorrow  she  was  preparing  for  Carlo — "  why  can 
we  not  joyfully  submit  ?  We  both  love,  only  in  a  different 
manner.  Let  each  preserve  and  persevere  in  his  own  man- 
ner, and  then  all  may  yet  be  well !  " 

"  And  it  shall  be  well !  "  exclaimed  Carlo,  with  anima- 
tion. "  You  cannot  love  me  as  I  love  you,  but  I  can  devote 
my  whole  life  to  you,  and  that  will  I  do !  At  home,  in  my 
charming  Naples,  a  beautiful  custom  is  prevalent.  When 
one  loves,  he  is  adopted  as  a  vapo^  a  protector,  who  follows 
the  steps  of  the  one  he  loves,  who  watches  before  her  door 
when  she  sleeps,  who  secretly  lurks  at  a  distance  behind  her 
when  she  leaves  her  house,  who  observes  every  passer-by  in 
order  to  preserve  her  from  every  murderous  or  other  inim- 
ical attack,  or  in  case  of  need  to  hasten  to  her  assistance. 
Such  a  vapo  protects  her  against  the  jealousy  of  her  hus- 
band or  the  vengeance  of  a  dismissed  lover.*  Natalie,  as  I 
cannot  be  your  lover,  I  will  be  your  vapo.  Will  you  accept 
my  services  ?  " 

*  Archenholz,  "  England  and  Italy,"  vol.  v..  p.  187. 


THE  VAPO.  367 

Giving  him  her  hand,  she  smilingly  said,  "  I  will." 

Carlo  pressed  that  hand  to  his  lips,  and  bedewed  it  with 
a  warm  tear. 

"  Well,  then,  I  swear  myself  your  vapo^''  said  he,  with 
deep  emotion.  "  Wherever  you  may  be,  I  shall  be  near  you, 
I  shall  always  follow  to  warn  and  to  protect  you  ;  should 
you  be  in  danger,  call  me  and  you  will  find  me  at  your  side, 
whether  by  night  or  by  day ;  I  shall  always  watch  over  you 
and  sleep  at  the  threshold  of  your  door,  and  should  a  dream 
alarm  you,  I  shall  be  there  to  tranquillize  you.  So  long  as 
I  live,  Natalie,  so  long  as  your  vapo  has  a  dagger  and  a  sure 
hand,  so  long  shall  misfortune  fail  to  penetrate  into  your 
dwelling.  You  cannot  be  mine,  or  return  my  love,  but  I 
can  care  for  you  and  watch  over  you.  In  accepting  me  for 
your  vajpo^  you  have  given  me  the  right  to  die  for  you  if 
necessary,  and  that  of  itself  is  a  happiness  !  " 

Thus  speaking  Carlo  rose,  and,  no  longer  able  to  con- 
ceal his  deep  emotion  and  suppress  his  tears,  he  left  Nata- 
lie, and  hastened  into  the  obscurest  alleys  of  the  garden. 

The  young  maiden  watched  his  retreat  with  a  sad  smile. 

"  Poor  Carlo !  "  murmured  she,  "  and  ah  !  yet  much 
poorer  Natalie  !  He  loves  at  least.  But  I,  am  I  not  much 
more  to  be  pitied  ?  I  have  no  one  whom  I  love.  I  am  en- 
tirely isolated,  and  of  what  use  is  a  solitary  paradise  ?  " 


368  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

THE   INVASION. 

Gorilla  had  kept  her  word.  She  had  sent  to  Alexis 
Orloff,  Carlo's  brother,  Joseph  Ribas,  the  galley-slave,  and 
with  a  malicious  smile  she  had  said  to  the  latter,  "  You 
will  avenge  me  on  your  treacherous  brother  ?  " 

Count  Orloff  warmly  welcomed  Corilla's  protege. 

"  If  you  give  me  satisfaction,"  said  he,  "  you  may  expect 
a  royal  recompense,  and  the  favor  of  the  exalted  Empress 
of  Russia.     First  of  all,  tell  me  what  you  can  do  ?  " 

"  Not  much,"  said  Joseph  Ribas,  laughing,  "  and  the 
little  I  can  will  yet  be  condemned  as  too  much.  I  can  very 
dexterously  wield  the  dagger,  and  reach  the  heart  through 
the  back  !  Because  I  did  that  to  a  successful  rival  at  Pa- 
lermo, I  was  compelled  by  the  police  to  flee  to  Naples. 
There  a  good  friend  taught  me  how  to  make  counterfeit 
money,  an  art  which  I  brought  to  some  perfection,  and 
which  I  successfully  practised  for  some  years.  But  the 
police,  thinking  my  skill  too  great,  finally  relieved  me  from 
my  employment,  and  gave  me  free  board  and  lodging  for 
ten  years  in  the  galleys.  Ah,  that  was  a  happy  time,  your 
excellency.  I  learned  much  in  the  galleys,  and  something 
which  I  can  now  turn  to  account  in  your  service.  I  learned 
to  speak  the  Russian  language  like  a  native  of  Moscow. 
Such  a  one  was  for  seven  years  ray  inseparable  friend  and 
chain-companion,  and  as  he  was  too  stupid  or  too  lazy  to 
learn  my  language,  I  was  forced  to  learn  his,  that  I  might 
be  able  to  converse  with  him  a  little.     That,  your  excellen- 


THE  INVASION.  369 

cy,  is  about  all  I  know;  to  wield  the  dagger,  make  coun- 
terfeit money,  speak  the  Russian  language,  and  some  other 
trifling  tricks,  which,  however,  may  be  of  no  service  to  your 
excellency." 

"  Who  knows  ?  "  said  Orloff,  laughing.  "  Do  you  under- 
stand, for  example,  how  to  break  into  a  house  and  steal 
gold  and  diamonds,  without  being  caught  in  the  act?  " 

"  That,"  said  Joseph,  thoughtfully,  "  I  should  hope  to 
be  able  to  accomplish.  I  have,  indeed,  as  yet  had  no  ex- 
perience in  that  line,  but  in  the  galleys  I  have  listened  to 
the  soundest  instructions,  and  heard  the  experiences  of  the 
greatest  master  of  that  art,  with  the  curiosity  of  an  emulous 
student ! " 

Orloff  laughed.  "  You  are  a  sly  fellow,"  said  he,  "  and 
please  me  much.  If  you  act  as  well  as  you  talk,  we  shall 
soon  be  good  friends !  Well,  to-morrow  night  you  make 
your  first  essay.     The  business  is  an  invasion." 

"  And  that  shall  be  ray  masterpiece  ! "  responded  Joseph 
Ribas.  • 

"  If  you  succeed,  I  will,  in  the  name  of  my  illustrious 
empress,  immediately  take  you  into  her  service,  and  you  be- 
come an  officer  of  the  Russian  marine." 

Joseph  Ribas  stared  at  him  with  astonishment.  "  That 
is  certainly  an  immense  honor  and  a  great  good  fortune," 
said  he,  "  only  I  should  like  to  know  if  the  Russian  marine 
engages  in  sea-fights,  and  if  the  officers  are  then  obliged  to 
stand  under  fire  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  cried  Orloff,  laughing, "  but  in  such  cases 
you  can  conceal  yourself  behind  the  cannon  until  the  fight 
is  over ! " 


37C  'i'ilK  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  I  shall  remember  your  wise  suggestion  in  time  of 
need  ! "  seriously  responded  Joseph  Ribiis,  bowing  to  the 
count.*  "  And  where,  your  excellency,  is  to  be  the  scene 
of  my  present  activity?  Where  am  I  to  gain  my  epau- 
lets?" 

"  I  will  myself  conduct  you  to  the  spot  and  show  you 
the  house  where  a  rich  set  of  diamonds  and  some  thou- 
sands of  scudi  are  lying  in  company  with  you  epaulets !  " 

"And  as  I  have' rather  long  fingers,  I  shall  be  able  to 
grasp  both  the  epaulets  and  the  treasure,"  laughingly  re- 
sponded Ribas. 

It  was  in  the  evening  after  this  conversation  of  Orloff 
with  Joseph  Ribas,  a  wonderfully  brilliant  evening,  such  as 
is  known  only  under  Italian  skies. 

Natalie  inhaled  the  soft  air  with  delight,  and  drank  in 
the  intoxicating  odor  of  the  flowers  which  poured  out  their 
sweetest  fragrance  in  the  cool  of  the  evening.  She  was  on 
this  evening  unusually  cheerful ;  with  a  smiling  brow  and 
childish  gayety,  as  in  happier  days,  she  skipped  dOwn  the 
alleys,  or,  with  her  guitar  upon  her  arm,  reposed  upon  her 
favorite  seat  under  the  myrtle-bush  near  the  murmuring 
fountains. 

*  And,  in  fact,  Ribas  did  remember  it !  At  a  later  period,  having 
become  a  Russian  admiral,  he  was  intrusted  with  the  command  of  the 
flotilla  which  was  to  descend  the  Danube  to  aid  in  the  capture  of 
Kilia  and  Ismail.  But  during  the  investment  of  Ismail  (December  21, 
1790),  Ribas  concealed  himself  among  the  reeds  on  the  bank  of  the 
Danube,  and  did  not  reappear  until  the  danger  was  over  and  he  could 
in  safety  share  in  the  booty  taken  by  his  sailors.  But  this  cowardice 
and  avarice  of  their  admiral  very  nearly  caused  a  mutiny  among  the 
sailors.  It  was  not  suppressed  without  the  greatest  efforts. — (See 
"  Memoires  Secretes  sur  la  Russie,  par  Masson,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  381.) 


THE  INVASION.  371 

"  I  am  to-day  so  happy,  ah,  so  happy,"  said  she,  "  in 
consequence  of  having  dreamed  of  Paulo — in  my  dream 
he  was  near  me,  spoke  to  me,  and  that  is  a  sure  sign  of 
liis  speedy  return !  Oh,  certainly,  certainly !  In  my 
dream  he  announced  it  to  me,  and  I  distinctly  heard  him 
say :  '  We  shall  meet  again,  Natalie.  I  shall  soon  be  with 
you!'" 

"  Ah,  may  this  dream  but  prove  true ! "  sighed  Mari- 
anne, Natalie's  faithful  companion.  She  was  standing,  not 
far  from  her  mistress,  with  Carlo,  and  both  were  tenderly 
observing  the  young  maiden,  who  now  smilingly  grasped 
her  guitar  and  commenced  a  song  of  joy  for  Paulo's  ex- 
pected return ! 

"  I  have  no  faith  in  our  count's  return ! "  whispered 
Marianne  while  Natalie  was  singing.  "  It  is  a  bad  sign 
that  no  news,  not  a  line,  nor  even  the  shortest  message,  has 
yet  come  from  him.  Something  unusual,  some  great  and 
uncontrollable  misfortune,  must  have  prevented  his  writ- 
ing ! " 

"  You  do  not  think  they  have  imprisoned  him  ?  "  asked 
Carlo. 

"  I  fear  it,"  sighed  Marianne.  "  And  if  so,  what  fate 
then  awaits  our  poor  princess?  Helpless,  alone,  without 
means !  For  if  the  count  is  imprisoned,  he  will  no  longer 
be  in  a  condition  to  send  money,  as  he  promised.  And  we 
now  possess  only  a  thousand  scudi,  with  double  that  amount 
in  diamonds ! " 

"  Then  we  are  still  rich  enough  to  keep  off  deprivations 
for  a  time  ! "  said  Carlo. 

"But  when   at  length   these    last    resources    are    ex- 


372  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

hausted  ? "  asked  Marianne — "  when  we  no  longer  have 
either  money  or  diamonds — how  then  ?  " 

"  Oh,  then,"  exclaimed  Carlo,  with  a  beaming  face, 
"  then  will  we  labor  for  her !  That,  also,  will  be  a  pleasure, 
Marianne ! " 

While  the  two  were  thus  conversing,  Natalie,  with  a 
happy  smile  and  cheerful  face,  was  still  singing  her  hymn 
of  joy  for  Paulo's  approaching  return  to  the  accompani- 
ment of  the  rustling  trees,  the  murmuring  fountains,  and 
the  chirping  birds  in  the  myrtle-bush.  It  was  a  beautiful 
night,  and  as  the  bright  full  moon  now  advanced  between 
the  pines,  illuminating  Natalie's  face  and  form,  the  par- 
tially intoxicated  and  perfectly  happy  Carlo  whispered : 
"  Only  look,  Marianne !  does  she  not  resemble  a  blessed 
angel  ready  to  spread  her  wings,  and  with  the  moonlight 
to  mount  up  to  the  stars?  Only  look,  seems  it  not  as  if  the 
moonbeams  tenderly  embraced  her  for  the  purpose  of  lead- 
ing an  angel  back  to  its  home  ?  " 

"  May  she,  at  least,  one  day,  with  such  a  happy  smile, 
take  her  departure  for  the  skies ! "  sighed  Marianne,  piously 
folding  her  hands. 

At  this  moment  a  shrill,  cutting  wail  interrupted  Nata- 
lie's song.  A  string  of  her  guitar  had  suddenly  snapped 
asunder ;  frightened,  almost  angry,  Natalie  let  the  instru- 
ment fall  to  the  earth,  and  again  the  strings  resounded  like 
lamentations  and  sighs. 

"  That  is  a  bad  omen,"  sighed  Natalie.  "  How,  if  that 
should  be  true,  and  not  my  dream  ?  " 

And  trembling  with  anxiety,  the  young  maiden  stretched 
forth  her  hands  toward  her  friends. 


THE  INVASION.  373 

"  Carlo — Marianne,"  she  anxiously  said,  "  come  here  to 
me,  protect  me  with  your  love  from  this  mortal  fear  and 
anguish  which  has  suddenly  come  over  me.  See,  the  moon 
is  hiding  behind  the  clouds.  Ah,  the  whole  world  grows 
dark  and  casts  a  mourning  veil  over  its  bright  face ! " 

And  the  timid  child,  clinging  to  Marianne's  arm,  con- 
cealed her  face  in  the  bosom  of  her  motherly  friend. 

"  And  you  call  that  an  omen  !  "  said  Carlo,  with  forced 
cheerfulness.  "  This  time,  princess,  I  am  the  fatum  which 
has  alarmed  you !  It  is  my  own  fault  that  this  string 
broke.  It  was  already  injured  and  half  broken  this  even- 
ing when  I  tuned  the  guitar,  but  I  hoped  it  would  suffice 
for  the  low,  sad  melodies  you  now  always  play.  Yes,  could 
I  have  known  that  you  would  have  so  exulted  and  shouted, 
I  should  have  replaced  it  with  another  string,  and  this  great 
misfortune  would  not  have  occurred." 

While  speaking,  he  had  again  attached  the  string  and 
drawn  it  tight. 

"  The  defective  string  is  quickly  repaired,  and  you  can 
recommence  your  hymn  of  joy,"  he  said,  handing  back  the 
guitar  to  Natalie. 

She  sadly  shook  her  head.  "  It  is  passed,"  said  she,  "  I 
can  exult  and  sing  no  more  to-day,  and  have  an  aversion  to 
this  garden.  See  how  black  and  threatening  these  pines 
rise  up,  and  do  not  these  myrtle-bushes  resemble  large  dark 
graves?  No,  no;  it  frightens  me  here — I  can  no  longer 
remain  among  these  graves  and  these  watchers  of  the 
dead !  Come,  let  us  go  to  our  rooms  !  It  is  night — we 
will  sleep  and  dream !  Come,  let  ns  immediately  go  into 
the  house." 


374      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

And  like  a  frightened  roe  she  fled  toward  the  house,  the 
others  following  her. 

In  an  hour  all  was  silent  in  the  villa.  The  lights  were 
successively  extinguished  in  Natalie's  and  Marianne's  cham- 
bers ;  only  in  Carlo's  little  chamber  yet  burned  a  dull,  soli- 
tary lamp,  and  occasionally  the  shadow  of  the  uneasy  singer 
passed  the  window  as  he  restlessly  walked  his  room.  At 
length,  however,  this  lamp  also  was  extinguished,  and  all 
was  dark  and  still. 

About  this  time  a  dark  shadow  was  seen  creeping  slowly 
and  cautiously  through  the  garden.  Soon  it  stood  still,  and 
then  one  might  have  supposed  it  to  be  a  deception,  and  that 
only  the  wind  shaking  the  pines  had  caused  that  moving 
shadow.  But  suddenly  it  again  appeared  in  a  moonlighted 
place,  where  no  bush  or  tree  threw  its  shade,  and,  as  if 
alarmed  by  the  brightness,  it  then  again  moved  aside  into 
the  bushes. 

This  shadow  came  constantly  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
house,  and  as  the  walks  were  here  broader  and  lighter,  one 
might  distinctly  discern  that  it  was  a  human  being,  the 
form  of  a  tall,  stately  man,  that  so  cautiously  and  stealthily 
approached  the  house.  And  what  is  that,  sparkling  and 
flashing  in  his  girdle — is  it  not  a  dagger,  together  with  a 
pistol  and  a  long  knife?  Ah,  a  threatening,  armed  man  is 
approaching  this  silent,  solitary  house,  and  no  one  sees,  no 
one  hears  him !  Even  the  two  large  hounds  which  with 
remarkable  watchfulness  patrol  the  garden  during  the  night, 
even  they  are  silent !  Ah,  where,  then,  are  they  ?  Carlo 
had  himself  unchained  them  that  they  might  wander  freely 
— where,  then,  can  they  be  ? 


THE  INVASION.  375 

They  lie  in  the  bushes  far  from  the  house,  cold,  stiff, 
and  lifeless.  Before  them  lies  a  piece  of  seductively  smell- 
ing meat.  That  was  what  had  enticed  them  to  forget  their 
duty,  and,  instead  of  growling  and  barking,  they  had  with 
snuffling  noses  been  licking  this  tempting  flesh.  Their  in- 
stinct had  not  told  them  it  was  poisoned,  and  therefore  they 
now  lay  stiff  and  cold  near  the  food  that  had  destroyed  them. 

No,  from  those  hounds  he  had  notliing  more  to  fear, 
this  bold,  audacious  man ;  the  hounds  will  no  more  betray 
him,  nor  warningly  announce  that  Joseph  Ribas,  the  ven- 
turesome thief  and  galley-slave,  is  lurking  about  the  house 
to  steal  or  murder,  as  the  case  may  be. 

He  has  now  reached  the  house.  He  listens  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  as  all  remains  still,  no  suspicious  noise  making 
itself  heard,  with  pitch-covered  paper,  brought  with  him 
for  the  purpose,  he  presses  in  one  of  the  window  panes. 
Then,  passing  his  hand  through  the  vacancy  caused  by  the 
absent  pane  of  glass,  he  opens  one  wing  of  the  French  win- 
dow, and,  by  a  bold  leap  springing  upon  the  parapet,  he 
lets  himself  glide  slowly  down  into  the  room. 

Again  all  is  still,  and  silent  lies  the  solitary,  peaceful 
villa.  Suddenly  appears  a  small  but  bright  light  behind 
one  of  these  dark  windows. 

Tliat  is  the  thief's  lantern,  which  Joseph  Ribas  has 
lighted  to  illuminate  his  dark,  criminal  way. 

He  cautiously  ascends  the  stairs  leading  to  the  second 
story,  and  not  a  step  jars  under  his  feet,  not  one,  nor  does 
the  slightest  noise  betray  him. 

He  is  now  above,  in  tbe  long  corridor.  Approaching  the 
first  door,  he  listens  long.     He  hears  a  loud  breathing — 


376  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

some  one  sleeps  within.  With  one  sole  quick  movement  he 
turns  the  key  remaining  in  the  lock.  The  door  is  now 
locked,  and  the  sleeper  within  remains  undisturbed.  Joseph 
creeps  along  to  the  next  door,  and  again  he  listens  to  ascer- 
tain if  there  be  anything  stirring  within.  But  no,  he  hears 
nothing !     All  is  still  behind  this  door. 

He  draws  a  pistol  from  his  girdle,  cocks  it,  and,  thus 
prepared  to  resist  every  attack,  he  suddenly  opens  the  door. 
No  one  is  in  the  room,  no  one  but  Joseph  Ribas  the  thief, 
who,  with  flashing  eyes,  suspiciously  and  carefully  examines 
every  hole  and  corner. 

But  no,  no  one  is  there.  Calm  and  sure,  Joseph  Ribas, 
steps  into  the  room,  drawing  and  bolting  the  door  behind 
him.  No  one  can  now  surprise  him,  no  one  can  fall  upon 
him  from  behind.  But  yes,  there  is  also  a  door  on  each 
side,  right  and  left.  He  listens  at  the  first,  he  think  she 
hears  a  light  breathing;  here  also  he  quickly  shoves  a  bolt 
and  passes  over  to  the  other  door,  which  stands  ajar.  Cau- 
tiously he  pushes  it  open  and  looks  in.  A  small,  dull  lamp 
is  burning  there,  lighting  the  lovely  face  of  the  sleeping 
Princess  Natalie. 

"  That  is  she  ! "  low  murmured  Ribas,  as  with  eager 
glances  he  observes  the  young  and  charming  maiden.  He 
is  drawn  forward  as  if  with  invisible  bands — he  penetrates 
into  this  sacred  asylum  of  the  slumbering  maiden.  But  he 
forcibly  checks  his  advance.  "  I  have  sworn  not  to  touch 
her,  and  I  will  keep  my  word,  that  I  may  secure  my  epau- 
lets ! "  he  muttered  to  himself,  and,  retreating  into  the  first 
chamber,  he  bolts  the  door,  to  make  all  sure,  that  leads  into 
Natalie's  chamber. 


THE  INVASION.  377 

"  Now  to  the  work  ! "  said  he,  with  decision.  "  Here 
stands  the  bureau,  the  treasure  must  be  here." 

And,  placing  his  dark  lantern  upon  a  table,  he  draws 
forth  his  picklock  and  chisels,  and  commences  breaking 
open  the  bureau.  Eight — his  thievish  instinct  has  not 
deceived  him,  he  has  found  all,  all.  Here  is  the  little  box 
of  sparkling  diamonds,  and  here  the  full  purses  of  money. 

With  a  knavish  smile,  Joseph  Ribas  conceals  the  bril- 
liants in  his  bosom,  and  deposits  the  money  in  his  capacious 
pockets. 

"  It  is  a  pity  that  this  is  not  mine,"  he  muttered  with  a 
grin,  "  but  toward  this  count  I  must  act  as  an  honorable 
thief,  and  I  have  promised  to  bring  it  all  truly  to  him." 

The  work  is  completed,  the  malicious  criminal  act  is 
performed.  He  can  now  go,  can  again  creep  away  from  the 
house  his  feet  have  soiled. 

Why  goes  he  not  ?  Why  does  he  linger  in  these  rooms  ? 
Why  directs  he  such  wild  and  eager  glances  to  the  door  be- 
hind which  Natalie  sleeps  ? 

He  cannot  withstand  the  temptation,  and  even  at  the 
risk  of  awaking  Natalie,  he  must  see  her  once  more !  And, 
moreover,  what  had  he  to  fear  from  an  isolated  young 
girl  ?  He  will  only  have  one  more  look  at  her.  Nothing 
more! 

He  noiselessly  pushes  back  the  bolt ;  noiselessly,  upon 
tiptoe,  with  closed  lantern,  he  creeps  into  the  room  and  to 
Natalie's  bedside. 

She  is  wonderfully  beautiful,  and  she  smiles  in  her  slum- 
ber. How  charming  is  that  placid  face,  that  half-uncovered 
shoulder,  that  arm  thrown  up  over  her  head,  where  it  is  half 

25 


378      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

concealed  under  her  luxuriant  locks !  Wonderfully  beauti- 
ful is  she.  Dares  he  to  touch  that  arm  and  breathe  a  kiss, 
a  very  light  kiss,  upon  those  fragrant  lips  ?  *  Why  not  ? 
No  one  sees  him,  nor  will  Count  Alexis  OrlofE  ever  know 
that  his  commands  have  been  disobeyed. 

But  as  he  bent  down,  as  his  breath  comes  only  in  light 
contact  with  her  cheek,  she  stirs !  Maiden  modesty  never 
slumbers ;  it  watches  over  the  sleeping  girl,  it  protects  her. 
It  is  her  good  genius  who  never  deserts  her. 

Drawing  herself  up,  Natalie  opens  her  eyes  and  starts 
up  from  her  couch.  Then  she  sees  a  large,  threatening 
masculine  form  close  before  her,  close  before  her  that  wildly- 
laughing  face. 

A  shriek  of  terror  and  anguish  bursts  from  her  lips,  and 
in  a  tone  of  alarm  she  calls  :  "  Carlo,  Carlo !  Help !  help  ! 
Carlo!    Save—" 

More  she  did  not  say.  With  a  wild  rage,  angry,  and 
ashamed  of  his  own  folly,  Joseph  Kibas  rushes  upon  her. 

"  One  more  cry ! "  he  threateningly  said — "  one  more 
call  for  help,  and  I  will  murder  you ! " 

But  at  this  moment  a  small  curtained  door  which  Kibas 
had  not  remarked  and  hence  not  fastened,  was  suddenly 
opened,  and  Carlo  rushed  in. 

"  I  am  here,  Natalie  ! — I  am  here  ! " 

Rushing  upon  the  stranger,  and  grasping  him  with  gi- 
gantic strength,  he  thrust  him  down  from  the  bed. 

Joseph  Ribas  turned  toward  his  new  and  unexpected 
enemy.  The  lamp  lighted  his  face,  and  falling  back  Carlo 
shrieked,  "  My  brother ! " 

Joseph  Ribas  broke  out  into  a  loud,  savage  laugh.    "  At 


THB  INVASION. 


THE  INVASION.  3Y9 

length  we  meet,  my  brother,"  said  he.  "  Bnt  this  time  you 
shall  not  hinder  me  in  my  work.  This  time  I  am  the  con- 
queror ! " 

"  No,  no,  that  you  are  not ! "  cried  Carlo,  beside  himself 
with  pain  and  rage.  "  Confess  what  you  want  in  this  house 
— confess,  or  you  are  a  dead  man  ! " 

And  with  a  drawn  dagger  he  rushed  upon  his  oppo- 
nent ! 

A  frightful  struggle  ensued.  Natalie,  in  her  night-dress, 
pale  as  a  lily,  knelt  upon  her  bed  and  prayed.  She  had 
folded  her  hands  over  her  breast,  directly  over  the  place 
where  the  papers  confided  to  her  by  Paulo,  in  a  little  silken 
bag,  always  hung  suspended  by  a  golden  chain. 

"  Grant,  0  my  God,"  prayed  she — "  grant  that  I  may 
keep  my  promise  to  Paulo,  and  that  I  may  defend  these 
papers  with  my  life  ! " 

And  the  two  brothers  were  still  struggling  and  contend- 
ing ;  like  two  serpents  they  had  coiled  around  each  other, 
and  held  each  other  in  their  toils. 

"  Flee,  flee,  Natalie ! "  groaned  Carlo,  with  a  weakened 
voice — "  flee  away  from  here !  I  yet  hold  him,  you  are  yet 
safe!    Flee!" 

But  in  this  moment  the  maiden  thought  not  of  her  own 
danger.  She  thought  only  of  Carlo.  Springing  from  her 
bed,  with  flashing  eyes  she  boldly  threw  herself  between  the 
contending  men. 

"No,  no,"  said  she,  courageously,  "I  will  not  flee — I 
shall  at  least  know  how  to  die !  " 

A  shriek  resounded  from  Carlo's  lips,  his  arms  relaxed 
and  fell  from  his  enemy,  leaving  his  brother  free. 


380  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Ah,  finally,  finally ! "  gasped  the  panting  Joseph. 
"  That  was  an  amusing  carnival  farce,  my  virtuous  brother ! 
Farewell !     I  am  this  time  triumphant ! " 

With  a  wild  leap  he  sprang  to  the  door ;  brandishing 
his  bloody  dagger  in  his  right  hand,  he  ran  through  the 
corridor,  down  the  stairs,  and  out  into  the  garden. 

"  Saved  ! "  said  he,  breathing  more  freely.  "  I  think  this 
Eussian  will  be  satisfied  with  me !  I  bring  the  money  and 
the  diamonds,  and  at  the  same  time  have  effectually  opened 
a  vein  for  this  troublesome  protector !  Ah,  it  seems  to  me 
I  have  very  successfully  put  in  practice  my  studies  in  the 
high- school  of  the  galleys  ! " 

And,  humming  a  jovial  song,  Joseph  Ribas  swung  him- 
self into  a  tree  close  to  the  wall,  and  let  himself  down  on 
the  other  side. 

Above,  in  Natalie's  chamber.  Carlo  long  lay  stretched 
on  the  floor,  pale,  with  the  death-rattle  in  his  throat.  In  a 
bright  stream  flowed  the  blood  from  the  wound  made  by  his 
brother's  dagger.  Natalie  knelt  by  him.  No  tear  was  in 
her  eye,  no  lamentation  escaped  her  lips.  She  seemed  per- 
fectly calm  and  collected  in  her  excess  of  sorrow ;  she  only 
sought  with  her  robe  and  her  hair  to  cover  Carlo's  wound 
and  stop  the  flow  of  blood. 

A  happy  smile  played  upon  Carlo's  blue  lips. 

"  I  die,"  he  murmured,  "  but  I  die  for  thee !  Thy 
vapo  has  kept  his  word,  he  has  defended  thee  until  his 
last  breath !  How  good  is  God !  He  lets  me  die  in  thy 
service  ! " 

"  No,  no,  you  must  not  die  !  "  cried  Natalie,  her  calm- 
ness giving  way  to  the  wildest  sorrow.     "  No,  Carlo,  you 


THE  INVASION.  381 

must  live !  Oh,  say  not  that  you  die  !  Ah,  you  love  me, 
and  yet  you  would  leave  me  alone  !  Only  live,  and  I  also 
will  love  you.  Carlo,  as  warmly  and  as  glowingly  as  you  love 
me  !  Do  but  remain  with  me,  and  my  heart,  my  life  shall 
be  yours ! " 

"  Too  late  !  too  late ! "  murmured  Carlo,  with  dying 
lips.  Remember  me,  Natalie — I  have  dearly  loved  you.  I 
die  happy,  for  I  die  in  your  arms  !  " 

"  No,  no,  you  shall  live  in  my  arms ! "  sobbed  she.  "  I 
will  be  yours — your  bride  !  " 

"  Kiss  me,  my  bride,"  he  falteringly  stammered. 

She  bent  over  him,  and  with  hers  she  touched  his  lips, 
already  stiffening  in  death.  She  laid  her  warm,  glowing 
cheek  to  his  cold  and  marble-pale  face  ;  that  full,  fresh  life 
pressed  that  which  was  cold  and  expiring  to  her  bosom  in 
an  ardent  struggle  with  death  !     In  vain ! 

Death  is  inexorable.  What  he  has  once  touched  with 
his  hand,  that  is  past  recovery,  it  is  his. 

The  blood  no  longer  flowed  from  Carlo's  wound,  the 
breath  no  longer  rattled  in  his  throat — it  was  silent ;  but  a 
blessed  smile  still  lay  upon  his  lips.  With  this  smile  had 
he  died,  happy,  blessed  in  the  embrace  of  her  he  had  so 
truly  loved. 

When  Marianne,  after  long  and  vain  efforts  to  open  the 
door,  had  finally  managed,  by  tying  her  bed-clothes  to- 
gether, to  let  herself  down  into  the  garden,  and  had  thence 
hastened  into  the  house,  and  up  into  Natalie's  chamber, 
she  found  there  all  silent  and  still.  Nothing  stirred.  Na- 
talie lay  in  a  deathlike  swoon. 

He,  Carlo,  already  stiffened  in  death,  and  she,  the  sense- 


382  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

less  Natalie,  with  her  head  reclining  against  the  marble 
face  of  her  friend  ! 

Poor  Natalie !  Why  must  Marianne  succeed  in  awak- 
ing thee  from  thy  swoon  ?  Why  did  you  not  let  her  con- 
tinue in  her  insensibility,  Marianne  ?  In  sleep,  she  at  least 
would  not  have  realized  that  she  was  now  left  entirely 
alone,  entirely  abandoned,  with  no  one  to  defend  her 
against  her  cruel  and  artful  enemies,  of  whose  existence 
she  never  once  dreamed  ! 


CHAPTEE  XL. 

INTRIGUES. 

Count  Orloff  lay  in  a  comfortable,  careless  position 
upon  his  divan,  leisurely  smoking  his  long  Turkish  pipe. 
Before  him  stood  Joseph  Ribas,  laughingly  relating  in  his 
own  comic  manner  the  occurrences  of  the  preceding  night. 

"  You  are  a  wonderful  man,"  said  Orloff,  when  Joseph 
had  finished.  "  You  have  honestly  earned  your  epaulets, 
and  to-day  you  will  for  the  first  time  appear  at  my  dinner- 
table  as  a  Russian  officer.  Ah,  I  prophesy  a  great  future  for 
you.  You  have  the  requisite  skill  and  address  to  make  your 
fortune.  You  are  shrewd,  daring,  and  you  recoil  from  no 
means,  finding  them  all  good  and  useful  when  they  forward 
your  aims.  With  such  principles  one  may  go  far  in  this 
world,  and  Russia  in  fact  offers  you  the  best  opportunity  for 
bringing  all  these  fine  talents  into  usa" 

"  And,  moreover,  I  commenced  my  Russian  career  with 


INTRIGUES.  383 

a  good  omen,"  said  Joseph.  "  I  have  placed  a  murder  at 
the  head  of  my  Russian  deeds !  That  is  a  promising  com- 
mencement, is  it  not,  Sir  Count?  You  must  know  that 
better  than  any  one." 

"  Indeed  yes,  I  must  best  know  that,"  said  the  count, 
laughing,  and  continually  stroking  his  long  black  beard. 
"  By  a  fair  and  well-timed  murder  one  can  always  make  his 
fortune  in  Russia.  A  well-timed  and  well-executed  murder 
is  with  us  often  rewarded  with  a  barony  and  the  title  of 
count.  Indeed,  sometimes  with  the  highest  and  tenderest 
imperial  favor  and  grace.  Ah,  a  murder  at  the  right  mo- 
ment is  an  excellent  thing,  only  one  must  be  quite  sure  of 
himself,  and  not  fail  of  hitting  the  right  man.  An  unsuc- 
cessful murder  is  a  very  bad,  and,  indeed,  a  very  dangerous 
thing.  I  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  one,  and  never 
have  had  any  thing  to  do  with  one.  Whatever  I  have  un- 
dertaken I  have  always  boldly  and  successfully  accomplished. 
The  good  Emperor  Peter  III.  knew  that,  and  consequently 
trembled  when  I,  with  Passeb  and  Bariatinsky,  entered  his 
chamber.  The  good  emperor !  He  did  not  tremble  long, 
it  was  soon  finished.  Yes,  yes,  that  was  a  deed  done  at  the 
right  time,  and  therefore  has  the  great  Catharine  been  so 
grateful  to  us,  and  honoured  us  above  all  the  illustrious 
grandees  of  her  empire."  * 

"My  little  opening  murder  has,  indeed,  less  signifi- 
cance," sighed  Joseph  Ribas.    "  What  was  it  but  to  help  a 

*  Of  the  tragic  and  horrible  events  connected  with  Catharine's  ac- 
cession to  the  throne,  and  of  the  strangulation  of  Peter,  in  which  he 
took  so  active  a  part,  OrlofE  spoke  in  Rome  with  the  greatest  freedom 
and  evident  pleasure. — Gorani,  vol.  ii.,  p.  33. 


384  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

humble  musician  to  the  blessedness  and  harmony  of  the 
spheres ! " 

"  But  that  musician  was  your  brother ! " 

Kibas  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  That  is,  he  was  so  con- 
sidered; but  in  reality  I  believe  he  was  only. a  half-brother. 
My  mother,  of  blessed  memory,  had  many  little  adventures, 
and  I  think  Carlo's  birth  was  somewhat  connected  with 
them.  Nor  am  I  sure  that  it  was  not  a  necessary  work  to  kill 
him,  as  it  was  surely  my  duty  to  avenge  my  father's  injured 
honor,  which  is  all  I  have  done !  Upon  these  grounds  has 
a  good,  honest  priest  this  day  given  me  absolution,  and  I 
now  stand  before  you  pure  and  sinless  as  a  maiden !  "We 
can  therefore  begin  anew,  your  excellency.  Have  you  still 
any  commands  for  me  ?  " 

"  You  now  have  a  very  noble  and  sublime  part  to  play," 
said  Orloff,  laughing.  "  You  must  now  appear  as  the  bene- 
factor of  our  Russian  princess,  and  as  the  mediating  fore- 
runner of  my  own  person  ! " 

"  That  will  be  indeed  a  charming  r61e,"  said  Ribas,  rub- 
bing his  hands  with  delight.  "  I  shall  admirably  acquit  my- 
self as  benefactor  and  mediator.  But  give  me  some  details. 
Sir  Count ! " 

"  You  shall  have  them,"  said  Orloff,  "  from  the  mouth 
of  Stephano. — Stephano  ! " 

The  person  called  immediately  appeared  at  the  door  of 
a  side-room. 

"  Stephano,"  said  Orloff,  "  now  to  the  work,  friend. 
The  courier  who  arrived  to  day  has  brought  us  good  news 
and  full  powers.  Count  Paul  Raczinsky  is  sent  to  Siberia 
for  high-treason — his  property  is  confiscated  and  falls  to  the 


INTRIGUES.  385 

state.  I  have  an  unlimited  power,  signed  by  the  empress 
herself,  to  seize  and  sell  his  possessions  here  in  the  name  of 
the  empress.  Take  with  you  some  attorney  and  officers  and 
go  to  this  villa.  But,  first  of  all,  help  our  little  Joseph 
Ribas  to  his  uniform  and  epaulets,  that  he  may  be  properly 
costumed  for  a  rescuer  and  benefactor.  And  now,  away 
with  you !  Instruct  him  well,  Stephano.  Ah,  I  should  like 
to  be  present  at  this  delightful  comedy  ! " 

And  Count  Orlofif  broke  out  into  a  hearty  laugh. 

"  This  whole  affair  is  very  entertaining  and  romantic," 
he  said  to  himself,  as  soon  as  he  was  alone.  "  I  am  truly 
very  thankful  to  Catharine  for  intrusting  it  to  me.  I  love 
the  adventurous  and  romantic.  Indeed,  whom  else  could 
she  have  chosen  for  this  business?  I  should  like  to  know 
who  would  dare  to  enter  the  lists  with  me,  the  Russian  Her- 
cules, and  who  would  be  so  bold  as  to  contend  with  me  for 
this  prize  ?  " 

Thus  speaking,  he  rose  from  the  divan  and  stepped  to 
the  great  Venetian  mirror,  before  which  he  long  remained 
attentively  viewing  himself. 

"  Ahem  !  this  tender  Empress  Catharine  knows  how  to 
judge  of  manly  beauty,"  murmured  he,  with  a  self-satisfied 
smile,  "  and  I  cannot  blame  her  for  so  often  giving  me  the 
preference  over  my  brother  Gregory.  Besides,  I  shall  first 
appear  before  this  little  Princess  Natalie  in  my  antique 
dress.  Catharine  has  often  told  me  I  was  enchanting  in  my 
antique  costume.  Well,  we  will  also  let  this  enchantment 
work  a  little  here.  But  first  we  must  think  of  what  is  near- 
est to  us.  This  Corilla  has  rendered  us  a  service,  and  we 
must  be  grateful.     They  say  she  loves  diamonds.     I  shall 


386  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

therefore  send  her  these  diamonds  which  her  Sieve  Joseph 
Ribas  last  night  made  the  property  of  the  Russian  crown. 
And  with  them  I  will  send  a  little  billet,  written  with  my 
own  hand.  Who  knows  but  that  this  will  give  her  more 
pleasure  than  the  sparkling  brilliants !  " 

In  that,  however,  the  handsome  Count  Orloff  was  mis- 
taken. The  poetess  Gorilla  therein  resembled  to  a  hair  the 
prima-donnas  and  heroines  of  the  stage  of  the  present  day. 
She  attached  a  great  value  to  diamonds,  and  knowing  that 
Russia  was  very  rich  in  gold  and  diamonds,  she  always  had 
an  especially  bewitching  smile  for  Russian  grandees.  Had 
Count  Orloff  come  in  person  to  bring  the  diamonds,  she 
would  undoubtedly  have  more  admired  him,  apparently 
been  more  pleased  with  his  presence  than  with  his  costly 
gift ;  but,  as  he  was  not  there,  there  was  no  necessity  for 
dissimulation. 

She  read  Count  Orloff's  billet  with  a  satisfied  smile; 
but  soon  laid  it  aside  for  the  delight  of  examining  the 
jewels. 

"  How  that  shines,  and  how  that  sparkles,"  said  the  ex- 
hilarated poetess  ;  "  not  even  a  lover's  eyes  flash  so  brightly, 
nor  is  his  smile  so  proud,  so  full  of  rich  certainty,  as  the 
sparkling  of  these  gems !  They  are  enchanters,  and  a  word 
from  me  can  change  these  solitaires  and  rosettes  into  a 
beautiful  villa,  or  into  a  fragrant  park  with  silent  arbors, 
intoxicating  odors,  and  sweetly-singing  birds.  All  that  is 
promised  me  by  these  stones — a  lover's  promises  do  not 
express  half  so  much.  And  only  to  think  that  it  is  Carlo, 
my  former  lover,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  these  dia- 
monds !    From  love  to  him  I  wished  to  destroy  Natalie,  and 


INTRIGUES.  387 

that  wish  procured  me  the  favor  of  the  Kussian  count,  and 
consequently  these  brilliants.  Poor  Carlo !  these  diamonds 
outlast  you.  How  bright  and  beautiful  were  your  glances 
that  are  now  extinguished  by  death — but  this  cruel,  inexor- 
^  able  death  has  no  power  over  diamonds !  It  cannot  stran- 
gle these  as  thou  wert  strangled,  poor  Carlo !  I  shall  re- 
member thee  this  evening,  Carlo,  and  hope  the  thought  of 
thee  may  inspire  me  for  a  right  beautiful  improvisation  on 
death  !  I  shall  take  pains  to  bring  to  mind  thy  beautiful 
form  overflowed  with  blood.  Yes,  it  will  inspire  in  me  a 
very  effective  improvisation,  and  I  will  at  the  same  time 
make  a  selection  from  my  dear  poets  of  some  striking 
rhymes  upon  death  and  the  grave.  And  when  I  have  the 
rhymes,  the  thoughts  and  words  will  come  of  themselves. 
Rhymes,  rhymes,  these  are  the  main  things  with  poets  ! " 

And  while  the  improvisatrice  was  thus  speaking  to  her- 
self, she  had  mechanically  adorned  her  person  with  the 
brilliants,  attaching  the  beautiful  collar  to  her  neck,  the 
long  pendants  to  her  ears,  and  placing  the  splendid  diadem 
upon  her  brow. 

She  looked  exceedingly  beautiful  in  these  ornaments, 
and  consequently  rejoiced  that  her  friend  Cardinal  Fran- 
cesco Albani  came  at  this  precise  moment. 

"  He  will  be  ravished  ?  "  said  she,  with  a  smile,  advanc- 
ing to  meet  him  with  the  proud  and  imposing  dignity  of  a 
queen. 

"  You  are  beautiful  as  a  goddess  ! "  exclaimed  the  cardi- 
nal, "  and  whoever  sees  you  thus  has  seen  the  protecting 
divinity  of  ancient  Rome,  the  sublime  Juno,  queen  of 
heaven !" 


388      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Were  I  Juno,  would  you  consent  to  be  my  Vulcan  ?  " 
roguishly  asked  Gorilla. 

"  No,"  said  Albani,  laughing ;  "  the  noble  Juno  was  not 
exactly  true  to  her  Vulcan,  and  I  require  a  faithful  love ! 
Would  you  be  that.  Gorilla?  " 

"  We  shall  see,"  said  she,  changing  the  arrangement  of 
the  diadem  before  the  glass — "  we  shall  see,  my  worthy 
friend.  But  forget  not  the  conditions — first  the  laurel- 
crown  ! " 

"  You  shall  have  it ! "  triumphantly  responded  the  car- 
dinal. 

"Are  you  certain  of  that?"  asked  Gorilla,  with  flashing 
eyes  and  glowing  cheeks. 

Gardinal  Francesco  Albani  smiled  mysteriously. 

"  Pope  Ganganelli  is  ill,"  said  he,  "  and  it  is  thought  he 
will  die ! " 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

THE  DOOMING   LETTER, 

Groaning,  supported  by  his  faithful  Lorenzo's  arm, 
Pope  Ganganelli  slowly  moved  through  the  walks  of  his 
garden.  Some  months  had  passed  since  the  suppression 
of  the  order  of  the  Jesuits — how  had  these  few  months 
changed  poor  Clement !  Where  was  the  peace  and  cheer- 
fulness of  his  face,  where  was  the  sublime  expression  of  his 
features,  the  firm  and  noble  carriage  of  his  body — where 
was  it  all  ? 

Trembling,  shattered,  with  distorted  features,  and  with 


THE  DOOMING  LETTER.  389 

dull,  half-closed  eyes,  crawled  he  about  with  groans,  his 
brow  wrinkled,  his  lips  compressed  by  pain  and  inward  sor- 
row. 

No  one  dared  to  remain  with  him  ;  he  spoke  to  no  one. 
But  Lorenzo  was  yet  sometimes  able  to  drive  away  the 
clouds  from  his  brow,  and  to  recall  a  faint  smile  to  his  thin 
pale  lips. 

He  had  also  to-day  succeeded  in  this,  and  for  the  first 
time  in  several  weeks  had  Ganganelli,  yielding  to  his 
prayers,  consented  to  a  walk  in  the  garden  of  the  Quirinal. 

"  This  air  refreshes  me,"  said  the  pope,  breathing  more 
freely ;  "  it  seems  as  if  it  communicated  to  my  lungs  a  re- 
newed vital  power  and  caused  the  blood  to  flow  more  rapidly 
in  my  veins.  Lorenzo,  this  is  a  singularly  fortunate  day 
for  me,  and  I  will  make  the  most  of  it.  Come,  we  will  re- 
pair to  our  Franciscan  Place  !  " 

"  That  is  an  admirable  idea,"  said  Lorenzo,  delighted. 
"  If  your  holiness  can  reach  it,  you  will  recover  your  health, 
8,nd  all  will  again  be  well." 

Ganganelli  sighed,  and  glanced  toward  heaven  with  a 
sad  smile. 

"  Health  !  "  said  he.  "  Ah,  Lorenzo,  that  word  reminds 
me  of  a  lost  paradise.  The  avenging  angel  has  driven  me 
from  it,  and  I  shall  never  see  it  again." 

"  Say  not  so ! "  begged  Lorenzo,  secretly  wiping  a  tear 
from  his  cheek.  "  No,  say  not  so,  you  will  certainly  re- 
cover ! " 

"  Yes,  recover ! "  replied  the  pope.  "  For  death  is  a  re- 
covery, and  in  the  end  perhaps  the  most  real." 

They  silently  walked  on,  and  making  a  path  through 


390  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

the  bushes,  they  at  length  arrived  at  the  place,  with  the 
construction  of  which  Lorenzo  had  some  months  before  sur- 
prised the  pope,  and  which  Ganganelli  had  since  named 
the  "  Franciscan  Place." 

"  So,"  joyfully  exclaimed  Lorenzo,  while  the  exhausted 
pope  glided  down  upon  the  grass-bank — "  so,  brother  Clem- 
ent, now  let  us  be  cheerful !  You  know  that  here  we  have 
nothing  more  to  do  with  the  pope.  You  have  yourself  de- 
clared that  here  you  would  be  brother  Clement,  and  nothing 
more  ;  now  brother  Clement  was  always  a  healthy  man,  full 
of  juvenile  spirits  and  strength." 

"  Ah,  my  friend,"  responded  Ganganelli,  "  I  fear  the 
pope  has  secretly  followed  brother  Clement  even  to  this 
place,  and  even  here  no  longer  leaves  him  free  !  No,  no,  it 
is  no  longer  brother  Clement  who  sits  groaning  here,  it  is 
the  vicegerent  of  God,  the  father  of  Christendom,  the  holy 
and  blessed  pope !  And  if  you  knew,  Lorenzo,  what  this 
vicegerent  of  God  has  to  suffer  and  bear,  how  his  blood  like 
streams  of  fire  runs  through  his  veins,  carbonizing  his  en- 
trails and  parching  the  roof  of  his  mouth,  so  that  the 
tongue  fast  cleaves  to  it,  and  he  has  no  longer  the  power  to 
complain  of  his  misery  !  And  such  a  crushed  earth-worm 
this  miserable,  infatuated  people  call  the  vicegerent  of  God, 
before  whom  they  bow  in  the  dust !  Ah,  foolish  children, 
are  you  not  yourselves  disgusted  with  your  masquerade,  and 
do  you  not  blush  for  this  jest  ?  " 

"  See  you  not,"  said  Lorenzo,  with  forced  cheerfulness, 
"  that  since  you  are  here  you  have,  against  your  will,  again 
become  brother  Clement,  and  inveigh  against  God's  vice- 
gerent who  holds  his  splendid  court  in  the  Vatican  and 


THE  DOOMING   LETTER.  391 

Quirinal !  Yes,  yes,  that  was  what  brother  Clement  used  to 
do  in  the  Franciscan  convent ;  he  was  always  scolding  about 
the  pope." 

"  And  yet  he  let  men  befool  him  and  make  a  pope  of 
him,"  said  Ganganelli.  "  Ah,  Lorenzo,  they  were  indeed 
good  purposes  that  decided  me,  and  good  and  holy  resolu- 
tions were  in  me  when  I  bore  this  crown  of  St.  Peter  for  the 
first  time.  Ah,  I  was  then  so  young,  not  in  years,  but  in 
hopes  and  illusions.  I  was  so  enthusiastic  for  the  good  and 
noble,  and  I  wished  to  serve  it,  to  honor  and  glorify  it  in 
the  name  of  God !  " 

"  And  in  the  end  you  have  done  so ! "  solemnly  responded 
Lorenzo. 

"  I  have  wished  to  do  so ! "  sighed  Ganganelli,  "  but 
there  it  has  ended.  I  have  been  hemmed  in  everywhere ; 
wherever  I  wished  to  press  through,  I  have  always  found  a 
wall  before  me — a  wall  of  prejudices,  of  ancient  customs, 
once  received  as  indifferent,  and  at  this  wall  my  cardinals 
and  officials  held  watch,  taking  care  that  my  will  should  be 
broken  against  it,  and  not  be  able  to  break  through,  in 
order  to  let  in  a  little  freedom,  a  little  fresh  air,  into  our 
walled  realm  !  They  have  curbed  and  weakened  my  will, 
until  nothing  more  of  it  subsists,  and  of  my  holiest  resolu- 
tions they  have  made  a  scarecrow  before  which  foreign 
kings  and  princes  cry  murder,  and  prophesy  the  downfall 
of  their  kingdoms  if  I  adhere  to  my  innovations.  Ah,  the 
princes,  the  princes !  I  tell  you,  Lorenzo,  it  is  the  princes 
who  have  undermined  the  happiness  of  the  world  with  their 
ideas  of  absolute  power ;  they  are  the  robbers  of  all  man- 
kind ;  for  freedom,  which  is  the  common  property  of  all 


392  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

men,  that  have  they,  like  regular  lawless  highwaymen,  ap- 
propriated for  themselves  alone.  They  plundered  the  luck- 
pennies  of  all  mankind,  and  coined  them  into  money  adorned 
with  their  likenesses,  and  now  all  mankind  run  after 
this  money,  thinking :  '  If  I  gain  that,  then  shall  I  have  re- 
covered my  part  of  human  happiness  which  once  belonged 
to  all  in  common  ! '  It  has  come  to  this,  Lorenzo,  through 
the  rapacity  of  princes,  and  yet  they  still  tremble  upon  their 
thrones,  and  fear  that  the  people  may  one  day  awake  from 
their  stupid  slumber,  all  rising  as  one  man,  and  cry  in  the 
paling  faces  of  their  robbers  :  'Give  back  what  you  have 
taken  from  us — we  will  have  what  is  ours ;  we  require  free- 
dom and  human  right ;  we  will  no  longer  remain  slaves  to 
tremble  before  a  bugbear ;  we  will  be  free  children  of  God, 
and  have  no  one  to  fear  but  the  God  above  us  and  the  con- 
sciences within  our  own  breasts  ! '  Come  down,  therefore, 
from  your  usurped  thrones,  become  once  more  human — 
labor,  enjoy,  complain,  and  rejoice,  as  other  men  do ;  live 
not  upon  the  sweat  of  your  subjects,  but  nourish  yourselves 
by  your  own  efforts,  that  justice  may  prevail  in  the  world, 
and  humanity  regain  its  rights  !  " 

And  Ganganelli's  eyes  flashed,  his  sunken  cheeks  were 
feverishly  flushed,  while  he  was  thus  speaking.  Lorenzo 
observed  it  with  anxious  eyes ;  and  when  the  pope  made  a 
momentary  pause,  he  said :  "  You  are  again  altogether  the 
good  and  brave  brother  Clement,  but  even  he  should  think 
about  sparing  himself !  " 

"And  to  what  end  should  he  spare  himself?"  excitedly 
exclaimed  Ganganelli ;  "  Death  sits  within  me  and  laughs 
to  scorn  all  my  efforts,  burying  himself  deeper  and  deeper 


THE  DOOMING  LETTER.  393 

in  my  inward  life.  You  must  know,  Lorenzo,  that  my  cause 
of  sorrow  is  precisely  this,  that  I  now  live  in  vain,  and  that 
I  cannot  finish  what  I  began  !  I  wished  to  make  my  people 
happy  and  free ;  that  was  what  alarmed  all  these  princes, 
that  was  an  unheard-of  innovation,  and  they  have  all  put 
their  heads  together  and  whispered  to  each  other,  '  He  will 
betray  to  mankind  that  they  have  rights  of  which  we  have 
robbed  them.  He  wishes  to  give  back  to  mankind  his  in^ 
herited  portion  of  the  booty !  But  what  will  then  become 
of  us  ?  Will  not  our  slaves  rise  up  against  us,  demanding 
their  human  rights  ?  We  cannot  suffer  such  innovations, 
for  they  involve  our  destruction  ! '  Thus  have  they  cried, 
and  in  their  anxiety  they  have  decided  upon  ray  death  ! 
Then  they  threw  me  in  a  crumb  exactly  suited  to  my 
dreams  of  improving  the  happiness  of  the  people ;  they  all 
consented  that  I  should  relieve  mankind  from  that  danger- 
ous tapeworm,  Jesuitism,  and  with  secret  laughter  thought, 
'  It  will  be  the  death  of  him  ! '  And  they  were  right,  these 
sly  princes,  it  will  be  the  death  of  me  !  I  have  abolished 
the  order  of  Jesuits — in  consequence  of  which  I  shall  die 
— but  the  Jesuits  will  live,  and  live  forever ! " 

The  echo  of  approaching  footsteps  was  now  heard,  and, 
sinking  with  fatigue,  he  directed  Lorenzo  to  go  and  meet 
the  intruder,  and  by  no  means  to  let  any  one  penetrate  to 
him. 

Returning  alone,  Lorenzo  handed  the  pope  a  letter. 

"  The  courier  whom  you  sent  out  some  days  since,  has 
returned,"  said  he.     "  This  is  his  dispatch." 

Taking  the  letter,  with  a  sad  smile,  the  pope  weighed  it 

in  his  hand.    "  How  light  is  this  little  sheet,"  said  he,  "and 
2C 


394      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

yet  how  heavy  are  its  contents  !     Do  you  know  what  this 
letter  contains,  Lorenzo  ?  " 

"  How  can  I  ?     A  poor  cloister  brother  is  not  all-know- 


ing 


t » 


"  This  letter,"  said  the  pope,  with  solemnity,  "  brings  me 
life  or  death.  It  is  the  answer  of  the  learned  physician, 
Professor  Brunelli,  of  Bologna !  " 

"  You  have  written  to  him  ?  "  asked  Lorenzo,  turning 
pale. 

"  I  wrote  him,  particularly  describing  my  condition  and 
sufferings ;  in  God's  name  I  conjured  him  to  tell  me  the 
truth,  and  Brunelli  is  a  man  of  honor  ;  he  will  do  it !  Am 
I  right,  therefore,  in  saying  that  the  contents  of  this  letter 
are  very  heavy  ?  " 

Lorenzo  trembled,  and,  grasping  the  pope's  hand,  he 
hastily  and  anxiously  said  :  "  No,  read  it  not.  Of  what  use 
will  it  be  to  learn  its  contents  ?  It  is  tempting  God  to  en- 
deavor to  learn  the  future  in  advance !  Let  me  destroy  this 
fatal  letter ! " 

"  Of  what  use  is  it  to  know  its  contents?"  asked  the 
pope.  "  That  I  may  either  prepare  for  death,  or  resume  a 
cheerful,  hopeful  life.  Leave  me,  Lorenzo ;  I  must  read 
this  letter ! " 

And,  while  his  faithful  servant  respectfully  stood  back, 
Ganganelli  broke  the  seal. 

A  pause  ensued — a  long,  excruciating  pause  !  Lorenzo, 
kneeling,  prayed — Pope  Ganganelli  read  the  letter  of  the 
physician  of  Bologna.  His  face  had  assumed  a  mortal  pal- 
lor ;  while  reading,  his  lips  trembled,  and  tear-drops  rolled 
slowly  down  over  his  sunken  cheeks. 


THE  DOOMING   LETTER.  395 

Falling  from  his  hand,  the  letter  rustled  to  the  earth ; 
with  hanging  head  and  folded  hands  sat  the  pope.  Lorenzo 
was  still  upon  his  knees  praying.  Ganganelli  suddenly 
raised  his  head,  his  eyes  were  turned  heavenward,  a  cheer- 
ful, God-given  peace  beamed  from  his  eyes,  and  with  a  clear, 
exulting  voice,  he  said  :  "  Lord,  Thy  will  be  done !  I  re- 
sign myself  to  Thy  holy  keeping." 

"  The  letter,  then,  brings  good  news  ?  "  asked  Lorenzo, 
misled  by  the  joyf  ulness  of  the  pope.  "  There  is,  then,  no 
ground  for  the  presentiments  of  death,  and  the  learned  doc- 
tor says  you  will  live  ?  " 

"  The  life  eternal,  Lorenzo  ! "  said  Ganganelli.  "  This 
letter  confirms  my  suppositions !  Brunelli  is  a  man  of 
honor,  and  he  has  told  me  the  truth.  Lorenzo,  would  you 
know  what  signifies  this  consuming  fire,  this  weariness 
and  relaxation  of  my  limbs?  It  is  the  effect  of  Acqua  To- 
fana !  " 

"  Oh,  my  God  ! "  shrieked  Lorenzo,  "  you  are  poisoned  ! " 

"  Irretrievably,"  calmly  responded  the  pope ;  "  Brunelli 
says  it,  and  I  feel  in  my  burning  entrails  that  he  speaks  the 
truth." 

"And  are  there  no  remedies?"  lamented  Lorenzo, 
wringing  his  hands.  "No  means  at  least  of  prolonging 
your  life  ?  " 

"  There  is  such  a  means ;  and  Brunelli  recommends  it. 
The  application  of  the  greatest  possible  heat,  the  produc- 
tion of  a  continual  perspiration,  which  may  a  little  retard 
the  progress  of  the  evil,  and  perhaps  prolong  my  life  for  a 
few  weeks  ! "  * 

*  Archenholz,  vol.  v.,  127. 


396      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Lorenzo,  it  is  my  duty  to  struggle  every  day  with 
death.  I  have  yet  much  to  complete  before  I  die,  yet  much 
labor  before  I  go  to  my  eternal  rest,  and,  as  far  as  I  can,  I 
must  bring  to  an  end  what  I  have  commenced  for  the  wel- 
fare of  my  people !  Come,  Lorenzo,  let  us  return  to  the 
Vatican ;  set  pans  of  coals  in  my  room,  procure  me  furs  and 
a  glowing  hot  sun  !     I  would  yet  live  some  weeks ! " 

With  feverish  impetuosity  Ganganelli  grasped  Lorenzo's 
arm  and  drew  him  away.  Then,  suddenly  stopping,  he 
turned  toward  his  favorite  place. 

"  Lorenzo,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone,  and  with  deep  sad- 
ness, "  it  was  yet  very  pleasant  in  the  Franciscan  cloister. 
Why  did  we  not  remain  there?  Only  see,  my  friend,  how 
beautifully  the  sun  glitters  there  among  the  pines,  and  how 
delightfully  this  air  fans  us !  Ah,  Lorenzo,  this  world  is 
so  beautiful,  so  very  beautiful !  Why  must  I  leave  it  so 
soon  ?  " 

Lorenzo  made  no  answer  ;  he  could  not  speak  for  tears. 

Ganganelli  cast  a  long  and  silent  glance  around  him, 
greeting  with  his  eyes  the  trees  and  flowers,  the  green  earth 
•and  the  blue  sky. 

"  Farewell,  farewell,  thou  beautiful  Xature ! "  he  whis- 
pered low.  "  We  take  our  last  leave  of  each  other.  I  shall 
never  again  see  these  trees  or  this  grassy  seat.  But  you, 
Lorenzo,  will  I  establish  as  the  guardian  of  this  place,  and 
when  you  sometimes  sit  here  in  the  still  evening  hour,  then 
will  you  think  of  me!  Now  come,  we  must  away.  Feel 
you  not  this  cool  and  gentle  air?  Oh,  how  refreshingly  it 
fans  and  cools,  but  I  dare  not  enjoy  it — not  I !  This  cool- 
ing cuts  off  a  day  from  my  life ! " 


THE  DOOMING  LETTER.  397 

And  with  the  haste  of  a  youth,  Ganganelli  ran  down  the 
alley.  Bathed  with  perspiration,  breathless  with  heat,  he 
arrived  at  the  palace. 

"  Now  give  me  furs,  bring  pans  of  coals,  Lorenzo,  shut 
all  the  doors  and  windows.  Procure  me  a  heat  that  will 
shut  out  death — !  " 

But  death  nevertheless  came ;  the  furs  and  coverings, 
the  steaming  coal-pans  with  which  the  pope  surrounded 
himself,  the  glowing  atmosphere  he  day  and  night  inhaled, 
and  which  quite  prostrated  his  friends  and  servants,  all 
that  could  only  keep  off  death  for  some  few  weeks,  not 
drive  it  away.  More  dreadful  yet  than  this  blasting  heat 
with  which  Ganganelli  surrounded  himself,  yet  more  hor- 
rible, was  the  fire  that  consumed  his  entrails  and  burned  in 
his  blood. 

Finally,  withered  and  consumed  by  these  external  and 
internal  fires,  the  pope  greeted  Death  as  a  deliverer,  and 
sank  into  his  arms  with  a  smile. 

But  no  sooner  had  he  respired  his  last  breath,  no  sooner 
had  the  death-rattle  ceased  in  his  throat,  and  no  sooner  had 
death  extinguished  the  light  of  his  eyes,  than  the  cold 
corpse  exhibited  a  most  horrible  change. 

The  thin  white  hair  fell  off  as  if  blown  away  by  a  breath 
of  air,  the  loosened  teeth  fell  from  their  sockets,  the  for- 
merly quietly  smiling  visage  became  horribly  distorted,  the 
nose  sank  in  and  the  eyes  fell  out,  the  muscles  of  all  his 
limbs  became  relaxed  as  if  by  a  magic  stroke,  and  the  rap- 
idly putrefying  members  fell  from  each  other. 

The  pope's  two  physicians,  standing  near  the  bed,  looked 
with  terror  upon  the  frightful  spectacle. 


398  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  He  was,  then,  right,"  murmured  the  physician  Barbi, 
folding  his  hands,  "  he  was  poisoned.  These  are  the  effects 
of  the  Acqua  Tofana!^'' 

Salicetti,  the  second  physician,  shrugged  his  shoulders 
with  a  contemptuous  smile.  "  Think  as  you  will,"  said  he, 
"  for  my  part  I  shall  prove  to  the  world  that  Pope  Clement 
XIV.  died  a  natural  death." 

Thus  saying,  Salicetti  left  the  chamber  of  death  with  a 
proud  step,  betaking  himself  to  his  own  room,  to  commence 
his  history  of  Ganganelli's  last  illness,  in  which,  despite  the 
arsenic  found  in  the  stomach  of  the  corpse  and  despite  the 
fact  that  all  Rome  was  convinced  of  the  poisoning  of  the 
pope,  and  named  his  murderer  with  loud  curses,  he  en- 
deavored to  prove  that  Ganganelli  died  of  a  long-concealed 
scrofula ! * 

And  while  Ganganelli  breathed  out  his  last  sigh,  re- 
sounded the  bells  of  St.  Peter's,  thundered  the  cannon  of 
Castle  Angelo,  and  the  curious  people  thronged  around  the 
Vatican,  where  the  conclave  was  in  solemn  session  for  the 
choice  of  a  new  pope.  Thousands  stared  up  to  the  palace, 
thousands  prayed  upon  their  knees,  until  at  length  the  doors 
of  the  balcony,  behind  which  the  conclave  was  in  session, 
were  opened,  and  the  papal  master  of  ceremonies  made  his 
appearance  upon  it. 

At  a  given  signal  the  bells  became  silent,  the  cannon 
ceased  to  thunder,  and  breathlessly  listened  the  crowd. 

The  master  of  ceremonies  advanced  to  the  front  of  the 
balcony.     A  pause — a  silent,  dreadful  pause!     His  voice 

*  Archenholz,  vol.  v.,  p.  125  ;  Gorani,  vol.  ii.,  p  45. 


THE  DOOMING  LETTER.  390 

then  resounded  over  the  great  square,  and  the  listeners 
heard  these  words  :  "  Hahemus  pontificem  maximum  Piuni 
VI. !  "     (We  have  Pope  Pius  VI.) 

And  the  bells  rang  anew,  the  cannon  thundered,  drums 
beat,  and  trumpets  sounded  ;  upon  the  balcony  appeared  the 
new  pope,  Juan  Angelo  Braschi,  Pius  VI.,  bestowing  his 
blessing  upon  the  kneeling  people. 

As  they  now  had  a  new  pope,  nothing  remained  to  be 
done  for  the  deceased  pope  but  to  bury  him  ;  and  they  buried 
him. 

In  solemn  procession,  followed  by  all  the  cardinals  and 
high  church  officials,  surrounded  by  the  Swiss  guards,  the 
tolling  of  the  bells  and  the  dull  rolling  of  the  muffled  drums, 
the  solemn  hymns  of  the  priests,  moved  the  funeral  cortege 
from  the  Vatican  to  St.  Peter's  church.  In  the  usual  open 
coffin  lay  the  corpse  of  the  deceased  pope,  that  the  people 
migh  see  him  for  the  last  time.  As  they  passed  the  bridge 
of  St.  Angelo,  when  the  coffin  had  reached  the  middle  of 
the  bridge,  arose  a  shriek  of  terror  from  thousands  of 
throats !  A  leg  had  become  severed  from  the  body  and 
hung  out  of  the  coffin,  swinging  in  a  fold  of  the  winding- 
sheet.  Cardinal  Albani,  who  walked  near  the  coffin,  was 
touched  on  the  shoulder  by  the  loosely  swinging  limb,  and 
turned  pale,  but  he  yet  had  the  courage  to  push  it  back  into 
the  coffin.  The  people  loudly  murmured,  and  shudderingly 
whispered  to  each  other  :  "  The  dead  man  has  touched  his 
murderer.  They  have  poisoned  him,  our  good  pope !  His 
members  fall  apart.    That  is  the  effect  of  Acqua  Tofana?''  * 

*  Archenholz  relates  yet  another  case  where  the  Acqua  Tofana 
had  a  similar  violent  and  sudden  effect.     "A  respectable  Roman 


400  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

The  infernal  work  had  therefore  proved  successful,  the 
vengeance  was  complete — Ganganelli  was  no  more,  and 
upon  the  papal  throne  sat  Braschi,  the  friend  of  the  Jesuits 
and  of  Cardinal  Albani,  to  whom  he  had  promised  the 
crowning  of  the  improvisatrice  Gorilla. 

And  as  this  cost  nothing  to  the  miserly  Pope  Pius,  he 
this  time  found  no  inconvenience  in  keeping  his  sacred 
promise,  though  not  so  promptly  as  Gorilla  and  the  passion- 
ate cardinal  desired. 

Not  until  1776,  almost  two  years  after  Braschi  had 
mounted  the  papal  throne,  took  place  the  crowning  of  the 
improvisatrice  in  the  capitol  at  Eome. 

She  had  therefore  attained  the  object  of  her  wishes. 
She  had  finally  reached  it  by  bribery  and  intrigue,  by  hypo- 
critical tenderness,  by  the  resignation  of  her  maiden  mod- 
esty and  womanly  honor,  and  by  all  the  arts  of  coquetry. 

But  this  triumph  of  hers  was  not  to  be  untroubled.  The 
nohili  shouted  for  her,  and  the  cardinals  and  princes  of  the 
Ghurch,  but  the  people  accompanied  her  to  the  capitol  with 
hissing  and  howling.  Poems  came  fluttering  down  on  all 
sides ;  the  first  that  fell  upon  Gorilla's  head,  Cardinal  Al- 
bani eagerly  seized  and  unfolded  for  the  purpose  of  read- 
ing it  aloud.     But  after  the  first  few  lines  his  voice  was 

lady,  who  was  young  and  beautiful,  and  had  many  admirers,  made 
in  the  year  1778  a  similar  experiment,  to  rid  herself  of  an  old  hus- 
band. As  the  dose  was  rather  strong,  death  was  followed  by  the 
rapid  and  violent  separation  of  the  members.  They  employed  all  pos- 
sible means  to  retain  the  body  in  a  human  form  until  the  funeral  was 
over.  The  face  was  covered  with  a  waxen  mask,  and  by  this  means 
was  the  condition  of  the  corpse  concealed.  This  separation  of  the 
members  seems  to  be  the  usual  effect  of  this  poison,  and  is  said  to  oc- 
cur as  soon  as  the  body  is  cold." — Archenholz,  vol.  v.,  p.  126. 


THE  DOOxMING  LETTER.  401 

silenced — it  was  an  abusive  poem,  full  of  mockery  and 
scorn. 

But  nevertheless  she  was  crowned.  She  still  stood  upon 
the  capitol,  with  tlie  laurel-crown  upon  her  brow,  cheered 
by  her  respectable  protectors  and  friends.  But  the  people 
joined  not  in  those  cheers,  and,  as  the  exulting  shouts 
ceased,  there  swelled  up  to  the  laurel-crowned  poetess,  from 
thousands  of  voices,  a  thundering  laugh  of  scorn,  and  this 
scornful  laugh,  this  hissing  and  howling  of  the  people,  ac- 
companied her  upon  her  return  from  the  capitol,  following 
her  through  the  streets  to  her  own  door.  The  people  had 
judged  her ! 

Gorilla  was  no  poetess  by  the  grace  of  God,  and  only 
by  the  grace  of  man  had  she  been  crowned  as  queen  of 
poesy ! 

Mortified,  crushed,  and  enraged,  she  fled  from  Eome  to 
Florence.  She  knew  how  to  flatter  the  great  and  win 
princes.  She  was  a  princess-poetess,  and  the  people  rejected 
her ! 

But  the  laurel  was  hers.  She  was  sought  and  esteemed, 
the  princes  admired  her,  and  Catharine  of  Russia  fulfilled 
the  promise  Orlofl  had  made  the  improvisatrice  in  the  name 
of  the  empress.  Gorilla  received  a  pension  from  Russia. 
Russia  has  always  promptly  and  liberally  paid  those  who 
have  sold  themselves  and  rendered  services  to  her.  Russia 
is  very  rich,  and  can  always  send  so  many  thousands  of  her 
best  and  noblest  to  work  in  the  mines  of  Siberia,  that  she 
can  never  lack  means  for  paying  her  spies  and  agents. 


402  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

THE   RUSSIAN    OFFICER. 

With  Carlo's  death,  Natalie  had  lost  her  last  friend ; 
with  the  stolen  money  and  diamonds,  Marianne  was  robbed 
of  her  last  pecuniary  means.  But  Natalie  paid  no  attention 
to  Marianne's  lamentations.  What  cared  she  for  poverty 
and  destitution — what  knew  she  of  these  outward  treasures, 
of  this  wealth  consisting  in  gold  and  jewels?  Natalie  knew 
only  that  she  had  been  robbed  of  a  noble,  spiritual  posses- 
sion— that  they  had  murdered  the  friend  who  had  conse- 
crated himself  to  her  with  such  true  and  devoted  love, 
and,  weeping  over  his  body,  she  dedicated  to  him  the  trib- 
ute of  a  tear  of  the  purest  gratitude,  of  saddest  lamenta- 
tion. 

But  so  imperfect  is  the  world  that  it  often  leaves  no 
time  for  mourning — that  in  the  midst  of  our  sorrow  it 
causes  us  to  hear  the  prosaic  voices  of  reality  and  necessity, 
compelling  us  to  dry  our  eyes  and  turning  our  thoughts 
from  painfully-sweet  remembrances  of  a  lost  happiness  to 
the  realities  of  practical  life. 

Natalie's  delicately-sensitive  soul  was  to  experience  this 
rough  contact  of  reality,  and,  with  an  internal  shudder, 
must  she  bend  under  the  rough  hand  of  the  present. 

Pale,  breathless,  trembling,  rushed  Marianne  into  the 
room  where  Natalie,  in  solitary  mourning,  was  weeping  for 
her  lost  friend. 

"  We  are  ruined,  hopelessly  ruined  !  "  screamed  Mari- 
anne.    "  They  will  drive  us  from  our  last  possession,  they 


THE  RUSSIAN  OFFICER.  403 

will  turn  us  out  of  our  house !  All  the  misfortunes  of  the 
whole  world  break  over  and  crush  us ! " 

The  young  maiden  looked  at  her  with  a  calm,  clear 
glance. 

"  Then  let  them  crush  us,"  she  quietly  said.  "  It  is  bet- 
ter to  be  crushed  at  once  than  to  be  slowly  and  lingeringly 
wasted  ! " 

"  But  you  hear  me  not,  princess,"  shrieked  Marianne, 
wringing  her  hands.  "  They  will  drive  us  from  here,  I  tell 
you ;  they  will  expel  you  from  your  house  ! " 

"And  who  will  do  that?"  asked  the  young  maiden, 
proudly  rising  with  flashing  eyes.  "  "Who  dares  threaten 
me  in  my  own  house  ?  " 

"  Without  are  soldiers  and  bailiffs  and  the  officers  of  the 
Russian  embassy.  They  have  made  a  forcible  entrance, 
and  with  force  they  will  expel  you  from  the  house.  They 
are  already  sealing  the  doors  and  seizing  everything  in  the 
house." 

A  dark  purple  glow  for  a  moment  overspread  Natalie's 
cheeks,  and  her  glance  was  flame.  "  I  will  see,"  said  she, 
"  who  has  the  robber-like  boldness  to  dispute  my  possession 
of  my  own  property  ! " 

With  proud  steps  and  elevated  head  she  strode  through 
the  room  to  the  door  opening  upon  the  corridor. 

The  bailiffs  and  soldiers,  who  had  been  placed  there,  re- 
spectfully stood  aside.  Natalie  paid  no  attention  to  them, 
but  immediately  advanced  to  the  officer  who,  with  a  loud 
voice,  was  just  then  commanding  them  to  seal  all  the  doors 
and  see  that  nothing  was  taken  from  the  rooms. 

"  I  wish  to  know,"  said  Natalie,  with  her  clear,  silver- 


404       THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

toned  voice — "  I  wish  to  know  by  what  right  people  here 
force  their  way  into  my  house,  and  what  excuse  you  have 
for  this  shameless  conduct  ?  " 

The  officer,  who  was  no  other  than  Stephano,  bowed  to 
her  with  a  slightly  ironical  smile. 

"  Justice  needs  no  excuse,"  said  he.  "  On  the  part  and 
by  command  of  her  illustrious  majesty,  the  great  Empress 
Catharine,  I  lay  an  attachment  upon  this  house  and  all  it 
contains.  It  is  from  this  hour  the  sacred  possession  of  her 
Eussian  majesty." 

"  It  is  the  exclusive  property  of  the  Count  Paulo ! " 
proudly  responded  Natalie. 

"  It  was  the  property  of  Count  Paul  Rasczinsky,"  said 
Stephano.  "  But  convicted  traitors  have  no  property. 
This  criminal  count  has  been  convicted  of  high-treason. 
The  mercy  of  the  empress  has  indeed  changed  the  sentence 
of  death  into  one  of  eternal  banishment  to  Siberia,  but  she 
has  been  pleased  to  approve  the  confiscation  of  all  he  pos- 
sessed. In  virtue  of  this  approval,  and  by  permission  of  the 
holy  Roman  government,  I  attach  this  house  and  its  con- 
tents ! " 

Natalie  no  longer  heard  him.  Almost  unconscious  lay 
she  in  Marianne's  arms.  Paulo  was  lost,  sentenced  to  death, 
imprisoned,  and  banished  for  life — that  was  all  she  had 
heard  and  comprehended — this  terrible  news  had  confused 
and  benumbed  her  senses. 

"  Sir ! "  implored  Marianne,  pressing  Natalie  to  her 
bosom,  "  you  will  at  least  have  some  mercy  upon  this  young 
maiden ;  you  will  not  thrust  us  out  upon  the  streets ; 
you  will  grant   us  a  quiet  residence  in  this  house  until 


THE  RUSSIAN   OFFICER.  405 

we  can  collect  our  effects  and  secure  what  is  indisputably 
ours ! " 

"  Every  thing  in  this  house  is  the  indisputable  property 
of  the  empress !  "  roughly  responded  Stephano. 

"  But  not  ourselves,  I  hope  ! "  excitedly  exclaimed  Mari- 
anne. "  This  imperial  power  does  not  extend  over  our  per- 
sons?" 

Stephano  roughly  replied  :  "  The  door  stands  open,  go ! 
But  go  directly,  or  I  shall  be  compelled  to  arrest  you  for 
opposing  the  execution  of  the  laws,  and  stirring  up  sedi- 
tion ! " 

"  Yes,  let  us  go,"  cried  Natalie,  who  had  recovered  her 
consciousness — "  let  us  go,  Marianne.  Let  us  not  remain  a 
moment  longer  in  a  house  belonging  to  that  barbarous  Rus- 
sian empress  who  has  condemned  the  noble  Count  Paulo  as 
a  criminal,  and,  robber-like,  taken  forcible  possession  of  his 
property  ! " 

And,  following  the  first  impulse  of  her  noble  pride,  the 
young  maiden  took  Marianne  by  the  hand  and  drew  her 
away. 

"  They,  at  least,  shall  not  forcibly  eject  us,"  said  she ; 
"  no,  no,  we  will  go  of  our  own  free  will,  self-banished  !  " 

"  But  where  shall  we  go  ? "  cried  Marianne,  wringing 
her  hands. 

"  Where  God  wills ! "  solemnly  responded  the  young 
maiden. 

"  And  upon  what  shall  we  live  ? "  wailed  Marianne. 
"  We  are  now  totally  destitute  and  helpless.  How  shall  we 
live?" 

"  We  will  work ! "  said  Natalie,  firmly.    A  peculiar  calm 


406  'i'HE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

had  come  over  her.  Misfortune  had  awakened  a  new 
quality  in  her  nature,  sorrow  had  struck  a  new  string  in  her 
being ;  she  was  no  longer  the  delicate,  gentle,  suffering, 
unresisting  child ;  she  felt  in  herself  a  firm  resolution,  a 
bold  courage,  an  almost  joyful  daring,  and  an  invincible 
calmness. 

"  Work  !  You  will  work,  princess  ?  "  whispered  Mari- 
anne. 

"  I  will  learn  it ! "  said  she,  and  with  a  constantly  quick- 
ened step  they  approached  the  outlet  of  the  garden. 

The  gate  which  led  out  into  the  street  was  wide  open  ; 
soldiers  in  the  Russian  uniform  had  been  stationed  before 
it,  keeping  back  with  their  carbines  the  curious  Romans 
who  crowded  around  in  great  numbers,  glad  of  an  oppor- 
tunity to  get  a  peep  into  the  so-long-closed  charmed  gar- 
den. 

"  See,  there  she  comes,  the  garden  fairy  !  "  cried  they  all, 
as  Natalie  neared  the  gate. 

"  How  beautiful  she  is,  how  beautiful !  "  they  loudly  ex- 
claimed. 

"  That  is  a  real  fairy,  a  divinity ! " 

Natalie  heard  none  of  these  expressions  of  admiration — 
she  had  but  one  object,  one  thought.  She  wished  to  leave 
the  garden ;  she  wished  to  go  forth  ;  she  had  no  regrets,  no 
complaints,  for  this  lost  paradise;  she  only  wished  to  get 
out  of  it,  even  if  it  was  to  go  to  her  death. 

But  the  soldiers  stationed  at  the  gate  opposed  her  prog- 
ress. 

Natalie  regarded  them  with  terror  and  amazement. 

"  They  cannot,  at  least,  oppose  my  voluntary  resigns- 


THE  RUSSIAN  OFFICER.  407 

tion  of  my  property,"  said  she.    "  Away  with  these  muskets 
and  sabres  !     I  would  pass  out !  " 

And  the  young  maiden  boldly  advanced  a  step.  But 
those  weapons  stretched  before  her  like  a  wall,  and  Natalie 
was  now  overcome  by  anguish  and  despair ;  the  inconsolable 
feeling  of  her  total  abandonment,  of  her  miserable  isolation. 
Tears  burst  from  her  eyes,  her  pride  was  broken,  she  was 
again  the  trembling  young  girl,  no  longer  the  heroic 
woman;  she  wept,  and  in  tremulous  tone,  with  folded 
hands,  she  implored  of  these  rough  soldiers  a  little  mercy, 
a  little  compassion. 

They  understood  not  her  language,  they  had  no  sympa- 
thy ;  but  the  crowd  were  touched  by  the  tears  of  the  beauti- 
ful girl  and  by  the  sad  lamentations  of  her  companion. 
They  screamed,  they  howled,  they  insulted  the  soldiers, 
they  swore  to  liberate  the  two  women  by  force,  if  the  sol- 
diers any  longer  refused  them  a  passage.  Dumb,  unshaken, 
immovable,  like  a  wall  stood  the  soldiers  with  their  weapons 
stretched  forth. 

Through  the  hissing  and  tumult  a  loud  and  command- 
ing voice  was  suddenly  heard  to  ask,  "  What  is  going  on 
here  ?  What  means  this  disturbance  ?  "  An  officer  made 
his  way  through  the  crowd,  and  approached  the  garden- 
gate.  The  soldiers  respectfully  gave  way,  and  he  stepped 
into  the  garden. 

"  Oh,  sir,"  said  Natalie,  turning  to  him  her  tearful  face, 
"if  you  are  an  honorable  man,  have  compassion  for  an 
abandoned  and  unprotected  maiden,  and  command  these 
soldiers,  who  seem  to  obey  you,  to  let  me  and  my  companion 
go  forth  unhindered." 


408  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

The  Russian  officer,  Joseph  Ribas,  bowed  low  and  re- 
spectfully to  her.  "  If  it  is  the  Princess  TartarofE  whom  I 
have  the  honor  of  addressing,"  said  he,  "  I  must  in  the  name 
of  my  illustrious  lord,  beg  your  pardon  for  what  has  im- 
properly occurred  here  ;  at  his  command  I  come  to  set  it  all 
right ! " 

Thus  speaking,  he  returned  to  the  soldiers,  and  in  a  low 
tone  exchanged  some  words  with  their  leader.  The  latter 
bowed  respectfully,  and  at  his  signal  the  soldiers  shut  the 
gate  and  retired  into  the  street. 

"  Am  I  to  be  detained  here  as  a  prisoner  ? "  ex- 
claimed Natalie.  "Am  I  not  allowed  to  leave  this  gar- 
den?" 

"  Your  grace,  preliminarily,  can  still  consider  this  gar- 
den as  your  own  property,"  he  respectfully  responded.  "  I 
am  commanded  to  watch  that  no  one  dare  to  disturb  you 
here,  and  for  this  purpose  my  lord  respectfully  requests  that 
you  will  have  the  goodness  to  permit  me  to  remain  in  your 
house  as  the  guardian  of  your  safety." 

"  And  who  is  this  generous  man  ?  "  asked  Natalie. 

"  He  is  a  man  who  has  made  a  solemn  vow  to  protect 
innocence  everywhere,  when  he  finds  it  threatened ! "  sol- 
emnly responded  Joseph  Ribas.  "  He  is  a  man  who  is 
ready  to  shed  his  blood  for  the  Princess  Tartaroff,  who  is 
surrounded' by  enemies  and  dangers;  a  man,"  he  continued, 
in  a  lower  tone,  "  who  knows  and  loves  your  friend  and 
guardian.  Count  Paulo,  and  will  soon  bring  you  secret  and 
sure  news  from  him  !  " 

"  He  knows  Count  Paulo  !  "  joyfully  exclaimed  Natalie. 
"  Oh,  then  all  is  well.     I  may  safely  confide  in  whoever 


THE   RUSSIAN  OFFICER.  409 

knows  and  loves  Count  Paulo,  for  he  must  bear  in  his  bosom 
a  noble  heart !  " 

And  turning  to  Joseph  Ribas  with  a  charming  smile,  she 
said,  "  Sir,  lead  me  now  where  you  will.  We  will  both 
gladly  follow  you  ! " 

"  Let  us,  first  of  all,  go  into  the  villa,  and  send  away 
those  troublesome  people  ! "  said  the  Russian  oflScer,  preced- 
ing the  two  women  to  the  Tiouse. 

The  bailiffs  and  soldiers  were  still  there,  occupied  with 
sealing  the  doors  and  closets.  Joseph  Ribas  approached 
them  with  angry  glances,  and,  turning  to  Stephano,  said, 
"  Sir,  I  shall  call  you  to  account  for  this  over-hasty  and  ille- 
gal proceeding ! " 

"  I  am  in  my  right ! "  morosely  answered  Stephano. 
"  Here  is  the  command  to  attach  this  villa.  It  has  fallen 
to  the  Russian  crown  as  the  property  of  the  traitor  Rasc- 
zinsky." 

"  There  is  -only  the  one  error  to  be  corrected,"  said 
Joseph  Ribas,  "  that  this  villa  was  not  the  property  of 
Count  Rasczinsky,  as  he  some  months  ago  sold  it  to  his 
|riend,  my  master.  And  as,  so  far  as  I  know,  the  illustrious 
count,  my  master,  never  was  a  traitor,  you  will  please  to  re- 
spect his  property ! " 

"  You  will  first  have  to  authenticate  your  assertions  ! " 
responded  Stephano,  with  a  rude  laugh. 

"  Here  is  the  documental  authentication  ! "  said  Joseph 
Ribas,  handing  a  paper  to  Stephano.  The  latter,  after  at- 
tentively reading  the  documents,  bowed  reverentially,  and 
said  :  "  Sir,  it  appears  that  I  was  certainly  mistaken.     This 

deed  of  gift  is  en  regie,  and  is  undersigned  by  his  grace  the 
27 


410      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

Eussian  ambassador.  You  will  pardon  me,  as  I  only  acted 
according  to  my  orders." 

Joseph  Ribas  answered  Stephano's  reverential  bow  with 
a  haughty  nod.  "  Go,"  said  he,  "  take  off  the  seals  in  the 
quickest  possible  time,  and  then  away  with  you  ! " 

But  as  Stephano  was  about  retiring  with  his  people, 
Joseph  Eibas  beckoned  him  back  again. 

"Ydu  have,  therefore,  recogfiized  this  deed  of  gift?" 
asked  he,  and  as  Stephano  assented,  he  continued :  "  You 
therefore  cannot  deny  that  my  master  is  the  undisputed 
possessor  of  this  villa,  and  can  do  with  it  according  to  his 
pleasure  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  deny  it  at  all !  "  growled  Stephano. 

Joseph  Eibas  then  drew  forth  another  paper,  which  he 
also  handed  Stephano.  "  You  will  also  recognize  this  deed 
of  gift  to  be  regular  and  legal !  It  is  likewise  undersigned 
and  authenticated  by  our  ambassador." 

Stephano,  having  attentively  read  it,  almost  indignantly 
said: 

"  It  is  all  right.  But  the  count  is  crazy,  to  give  away 
so  fine  a  property  ! " 

And  still  grumbling,  he  departed  with, his  people. 

Clinging  to  Marianne's  side,  Natalie  had  observed  the 
whole  proceeding  with  silent  wonder ;  and,  with  the  aston- 
ishment of  innocence  and  inexperience,  she  comprehended 
nothing  of  the  whole  scene,  nor  was  a  suspicion  awakened 
in  her  childishly  pure  soul. 

"  He  is,  then,  really  going  ?  "  she  asked,  as  Stephano  was 
slowly  moving  off. 

"  Yes,  he  is  going,"  said  Joseph  Eibas,  "  and  will  never 


THE  RUSSIAN  OFFICER.  411 

venture  to  disturb  you  again.  Henceforth  you  will  be  in 
undisputed  possession  of  your  property.  My  lord  has  made 
this  villa  and  garden  forever  yours  by  a  regular  legal  deed 
of  gift." 

"  And  who  is  your  lord  ?  "  asked  Natalie.  "  Tell  me  his 
name — tell  me  where  I  may  find  him,  that  I  may  return 
him  my  thanks  ?  " 

"  Yes,  conduct  us  to  him,"  said  the  weeping  Marianne. 
"  Let  me  clasp  his  feet  and  implore  his  further  protection 
for  my  poor  helpless  princess." 

"  My  lord  desires  no  thanks,"  proudly  responded  Ribas. 
"  He  does  good  for  its  own  sake,  and  protects  innocence  be- 
cause that  is  the  duty  of  every  knight  and  nobleman." 

"  At  least  tell  me  his  name,  that  I  may  pray  for  him," 
sobbed  Marianne. 

"  Yes,  his  name,"  said  Natalie,  with  a  charming  smile. 
"  Ah,  how  I  shall  love  that  name  ! " 

"  His  name  is  his  own  secret,"  said  Ribas.  "  The  world, 
indeed,  knows  and  blesses  him,  calling  him  the  bravest  of 
the  brave.  But  it  is  his  command  that  you  shall  never  be 
informed  of  it.  He  desires  nothing,  no  thanks,  no  ac- 
knowledgments— he  wishes  only  to  secure  your  peace  and 
happiness,  and  thus  redeem  the  solemn  vow  he  made  to 
his  friend.  Count  Paulo  Rasczinsky,  to  guard  and  preserve 
you  as  a  father,  and  to  watch  over  you  as  your  tutelar 
genius ! " 

"  Thanks,  thanks,  my  God  !  "  cried  Marianne,  with  her 
arms  raised  toward  heaven.  "  Thou  sendest  us  help  in  our 
need,  Thou  hast  mercy  on  suffering  innocence,  and  sendest 
her  a  saviour  in  her  greatest  distress ! " 


412      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

The  young  maiden  said  nothing.  Her  radiant  glance 
was  directed  heavenward,  and,  folding  her  hands  over  her 
bosom,  with  a  happy,  grateful  smile  she  murmured  : 

"  I  am  therefore  no  longer  alone,  I  have  a  friend  who 
watches  over  and  protects  me.  Whoever  he  may  be,  he 
is  sent  by  Count  Paulo.  Whatever  may  be  his  name,  I 
shall  be  forever  grateful  to  him !  " 


CHAPTER  XLIIL 

ANTICIPATION. 

From  that  day  had  a  new  and  marvellous  life  com- 
menced for  Natalie.  She  felt  herself  surrounded  by  a 
dreamy,  magic,  fantastic,  supernatural  life ;  it  seemed  as  if 
some  invisible  genius  hovered  over  her,  listening  to  all  her 
thoughts,  realizing  all  her  wishes  !  And  Joseph  Ribas  was 
the  merry,  always-cheerful,  always-serviceable  Kobold  of 
this  invisible  deity ! 

"  My  lord  is  not  satisfied  with  the  modest  furnishing  of 
your  villa,"  said  he  to  Natalie,  on  the  first  day.  "  He  begs 
to  be  allowed  to  adorn  your  chamber  with  a  splendor  suited 
to  your  rank  and  your  future  greatness ! " 

"  And  in  what  is  my  future  greatness  to  consist  ?  "  asked 
the  young  maiden,  with  curiosity. 

"  That  will  be  made  known  to  you  at  the  proper  time," 
mysteriously  replied  Joseph  Ribas. 

"Who  will  tell  me?" 

"  He,  the  count." 


ANTICIPATION.  413 

"  I  shall  therefore  see  him  ! "  she  joyfully  exclaimed. 

"  Perhaps !  Will  you,  however,  first  allow  me  to  have 
your  room  properly  furnished  ?  " 

"  This  villa  belongs  to  your  lord,"  said  Natalie.  "  It 
is  for  him,  as  lord  and  master,  to  do  as  he  pleases  in  it." 

And  satisfied,  Eibas  hastened  away,  to  return  in  a  few 
hours  with  more  than  fifty  workmen  and  artists,  in  order  to 
commence  the  improvements. 

Until  now  the  villa  had  been  finished  and  furnished  with 
simple  elegance.  One  missed  nothing  necessary  for  com- 
fort or  convenience,  for  pleasantness  or  taste.  But  it  was 
still  only  the  elegant  and  fashionable  residence  of  a  private 
person.  Now,  as  by  the  stroke  of  a  magic  wand,  this  villa 
in  a  few  days  was  converted  into  the  splendid  palace  of 
some  sultan  or  caliph.  There  were  heavy  Turkish  carpets 
on  the  floors,  velvet  curtains  with  gold  embroidery  at  the 
windows  and  on  the  walls,  the  richest  and  most  comfortable 
divans  and  arm-chairs,  covered  with  gold-embroidered 
stuffs;  vases  ornamented  with  the  most  costly  precious 
stones,  noble  bronze  statues,  beautiful  paintings,  and  be- 
tween them  the  rarest  ornaments,  glistening  with  jewels, 
which  modern  times  have  designated  by  the  name  of  ribs ; 
there  were  delicate  little  trifles  of  inestimable  value,  and 
with  refined  taste  and  judgment  every  thing  was  sought  out 
which  luxury  and  convenience  could  demand.  With  child- 
ish astonishment  and  ecstasy,  Natalie  wandered  through 
these  rooms,  which  she  hardly  recognized  in  their  splendid 
ornamentation,  and  stood  before  these  treasures  of  trifles 
which  she  hardly  dared  to  touch. 

"This  lord  must  be  either  a  magician   or  a  nabob," 


414      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

thoughtfully  remarked  Marianne ;  "  it  must  have  required 
millions  to  effect  all  this." 

Natalie  asked  neither  whether  he  was  a  magician,  a  mil- 
lionaire, or  a  nabob ;  she  only  thought  she  was  to  see  him, 
and  be  allowed  to  thank  him — nothing  further. 

"  Will  he  come  now  ?  "  she  constantly  asked  of  the  hum- 
ble and  slavishly  devoted  Joseph  Ribas ;  "  will  he  come  now 
that  his  house  is  prepared  for  his  reception  ?  " 

"  It  is  adorned  only  for  you,  princess,"  humbly  replied 
Ribas.  "  The  count,  my  master,  wishes  for  nothing  but  to 
see  you  in  a  habitation  worthy  of  you ! " 

But  what  was  this  luxury,  what  cared  she  for  these 
treasures  the  value  of  which  she  was  incapable  of  estimat- 
ing, and  which  were  indifferent  to  her?  She  who  had  no 
conception  of  wealth  or  of  money ! — she,  who  knew  not 
that  there  was  poverty  in  the  world,  and  who,  raised  in  an 
Eden  separated  from  the  world,  had  no  idea  that  hunger 
had  ever  made  its  appearance  within  it — she  knew  only  the 
sorrows  of  the  happy,  the  deprivations  of  the  rich  ;  she  had 
never  had  either  to  struggle  against  real  misfortune  or  to 
experience  real  want  and  deprivation. 

Now,  indeed,  a  deeper  sorrow  had  entered  into  her  life ; 
she  had  lost  her  beloved  paternal  friend,  Count  Paulo  ;  and 
Carlo,  also,  had  been  torn  from  her !  That  was  certainly  a 
more  profound  sorrow,  and  she  had  wept  much  for  both  of 
them, — but  yet  that  was  no  real  misfortune.  She  had  never 
yet  lost  the  whole  substance  of  her  life ;  for  those  two, 
however  much  she  might  always  have  loved  them,  had 
nevertheless,  not  entirely  filled  out  her  life  ;  they  had  been 
a  part  of  her  happiness,  but  not  that  happiness  itself. 


ANTICIPATION.  415 

And  she  awaited  happiness  !  She  awaited  it  with  ecstasy 
and  devotion,  with  feverish  hope  and  glowing  desire !  She 
knew  not  and  asked  not  in  what  this  happiness  was  to  con- 
sist, and  yet  her  heart  yearned  for  it ;  she  called  for  this 
unknown  and  nameless  happiness  with  a  throbbing  bosom 
and  tremulously  whispering  lips ! 

She  was  so  much  alone,  she  had  so  much  time  for  dream- 
ing, and  intoxicating  herself  with  fantastic  imaginations ! 
She  was  surrounded  by  a  fabulous  world,  and  she  was  the 
fairy  of  that  world !  But  out  of  that  fabulous  world  she 
sometimes  longed  to  be,  out  of  the  ideal  into  the  real ;  she 
yearned  for  truth  and  actuality.  Then  she  would  call  Jo- 
seph Eibas  to  her  side  and  bid  him  relate  to  her  of  that 
unknown  lord,  his  master. 

He  told  her  of  his  battles  and  his  heroic  deeds,  of  his 
wonderful  acts  of  bravery,  and  the  young  maiden  trem- 
blingly and  shudderingly  listened  to  him.  She  feared  this 
man,  who  had  shed  streams  of  blood,  and  whose  enemies 
with  their  dying  lips  had  lauded  as  the  greatest  of  heroes ! 
And  Joseph  Ribas  smiled  when  he  saw  her  turn  pale  and 
tremble,  and  he  would  speak  to  her  of  his  generosity  and 
humanity,  of  his  knighthood  and  virtue  ;  he  related  to  her 
how,  on  one  occasion,  at  the  risk  of  his  life  he  had  pro- 
tected and  saved  a  persecuted  young  maiden ;  how  on  an- 
other he  had  taken  pity  on  a  helpless  old  man,  and  singly 
had  defended  him  against  a  host  of  bloodthirsty  enemies. 
He  also  spoke  to  her  of  the  sorrow  of  his  master  on  account 
of  the  ingratitude  and  deceptions  he  had  experienced,  and 
Natalie's  eyes  filled  with  tears  as,  with  reproachful  glances, 
she  asked  of  Heaven  how  it  coilld  have  permitted  the  virtue 


416      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

of  this  noble  unknown  hero  to  be  so  severely  tried,  and  the 
baseness  of  mankind  to  trouble  him. 

"  That  is  it,  then,"  Kibas  would  often  say ;  "  he  diffuses 
happiness  everywhere  around  him,  while  he  himself  has  it 
not !  He  makes  glad  and  cheerful  faces  wherever  he  ap- 
pears, and  his  own  is  the  only  serious  and  sad  brow.  Man- 
kind have  made  him  hopeless,  and  for  himself  he  no  longer 
believes  in  happiness  ! " 

Ah,  how  then  did  the  heart  of  this  innocent  child  trem- 
ble, and  how  she  longed  to  find  some  means  for  restoring 
his  belief  in  happiness. 

"  But  why  does  he  not  come  to  those  who  love 
him  ? "  asked  she.  "  Why  does  he  decline  the  thanks  of 
those  whose  hearts  are  truly  devoted  to  him?  Ah,  in 
our  humid  eyes  and  joy-beaming  faces  he  would  recognize 
the  truthfulness  of  our  feelings!  Why,  then,  comes  he 
not?" 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  said  Eibas,  with  a  smile ;  "  he  hates 
women,  because  the  only  one  he  ever  loved  was  false  to 
him,  and  now  his  love  is  changed  to  ardent  hatred  of  all 
women ! " 

"  I  shall  therefore  never  see  him ! "  sighed  the  girl, 
hanging  her  head  with  the  sadness  of  disappointment. 

This  expectation,  this  constantly  increasing  impatience, 
rendered  her  inaccessible  to  any  other  feeling,  any  other 
thought.  He  of  whom  she  did  not  know  even  the  name, 
was  sent  by  Paulo,  and  therefore  had  she  believed  and  con- 
fided in  him  from  the  first.  Now  had  she  already  forgotten 
that  she  had  confided  in  him  on  Paulo's  account;  she  be- 
lieved in  him  on  his  own  account,  and  Paulo  had  retreated 


HE !  417 

into  the  background.  Occasionally  also  the  bloody  image 
of  poor  Carlo  presented  itself  to  her  mind,  and  she  secretly 
reproached  herself  for  having  mourned  him  for  so  short  a 
time,  for  having  so  soon  forgotten  that  faithful,  self-sacri- 
ficing friend. 

But  even  these  reproaches  were  soon  silenced  when 
with  a  throbbing  bosom  she  thought  of  this  new  friend, 
who  like  a  divinity  hovered  over  her  at  an  infinite  and  un- 
attainable distance,  and  whose  mysteriously  active  near- 
ness replaced  both  of  those  friends  she  had  lost,  and  for 
whom  she  could  no  longer  mourn. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 
he! 

"  It  is  now  high  time  ! "  said  Joseph  Ribas,  one  day,  as, 
coming  from  Natalie,  he  entered  the  boudoir  of  Count 
Alexis  Orloff.  "  Now,  your  excellency,  the  right  moment 
has  come !  You  must  now  show  yourself,  or  this  curious 
child  will  consume  herself  with  a  longing  that  has  changed 
her  blood  to  fire !  She  thinks  of  nothing  but  you ;  with 
open  eyes  she  dreams  of  you,  and  without  the  least  suspicion 
that  any  one  is  listening  to  her,  she  speaks  to  you,  ah,  with 
what  modest  tenderness  and  with  what  humble  devotion ! 
I  tell  you,  your  excellency,  you  are  highly  blessed.  There  is 
no  child  more  innocent,  no  woman  more  glowing  with  love. 
And  she  knows  it  not ;  no,  she  has  not  the  least  suspicion 
that  she  already  loves  you  with  enthusiasm,  and  thirsts  for 


418  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

your  kisses  as  the  rose  for  the  morning  dew  !    She  knows 
nothing  of  her  love  !  " 

"  She  shall  learn  something  of  it !  "  said  Orloff,  laughing. 
"  It  will  be  a  pleasant  task  to  enlighten  this  little  unknow- 
ing one  as  to  her  own  feelings.  And  I  flatter  myself  I 
understand  how  to  do  that." 

"  Endeavor,  above  all  things,  your  excellency,  to  realize 
the  ideal  she  bears  in  her  heart.  She  expects  to  see  nothing 
less  than  an  Apollo,  whose  radiant  beauty  will  annihilate 
her  as  Jupiter  did  Semele !  " 

"  Well,  in  that,  I  hope  she  has  not  deceived  herself,"  re- 
sponded Orloff,  with  a  self-satisfied  glance  into  the  mirror. 
"  If  I  am  not  Jupiter,  yet  they  call  me  Hercules,  and  he, 
you  know,  was  the  son  of  Jupiter,  and,  indeed,  his  hand- 
somest son ! " 

"  And  be  you  not  only  a  Hercules,  but  a  Zephyr  and 
Apollo,  at  the  same  time.  Make  her  tremble  before  your 
heroic  character,  and  at  the  same  time  win  her  confidence 
in  your  humble,  modest  love — then  is  she  yours.  You  must 
cautiously  and  noiselessly  spread  your  nets,  you  must  not 
wound  her  delicate  sensitiveness  by  a  word  or  look,  or  she 
will  flee  from  you  like  a  frightened  gazelle  ! " 

"  Oh,  should  she  wish  to  flee,  my  arms  are  strong  enough 
to  hold  her ! " 

"  Yet  it  is  better  to  hold  her  so  fast  by  her  own  enthusi- 
asm, that  she  shall  not  wish  to  flee,"  said  Ribas.  "  You 
must  entirely  intoxicate  her  with  your  humble  and  respect- 
ful love — then  is  she  yours ! " 

"  Does  she  know  I  am  coming  ?  "  thoughtfully  asked 
Orloff. 


HE!  419 

"  No,  she  knows  nothing  of  it.  She  sits  in  the  garden 
and  sighs,  occasionally  grasping  the  golden  guitar  that  lies 
on  her  arm,  and  asks  of  the  flowers  :  '  What  is  the  name  of 
my  unknown  friend?  In  what  star  does  he  dwell,  and  how 
shall  I  invoke  him ; '  " 

"  I  will,  then,  surprise  her  !  "  said  Orloff.  "  Let  her  an- 
ticipate my  coming,  but  do  not  promise  it.  It  begins  to 
grow  dark.     Where  is  she,  evenings  ?  " 

"  Always  in  the  garden.  There  she  sighs  and  dreams  of 
you ! " 

"  Persuade  her  to  go  into  the  house,  and  let  it  be  well 
lighted  up !  I  would  appear  to  her  in  the  full  splendor  of 
the  lights !  Ha,  you  ragamuffins,  you  hounds,  bring  me  my 
oriental  costume,  the  richest,  handsomest ;  hasten,  or  I  will 
throttle  you ! " 

And  Count  Orloff  hurried  into  his  toilet-chamber,  to  the 
trembling  slaves  who  there  awaited  him. 

With  a  sly  smile  Joseph  Ribas  returned  to  the  villa.  As 
he  had  previously  said,  he  found  Natalie  dreaming  in  the 
garden,  the  guitar  upon  her  arm. 

"  You  ought  to  go  into  the  house  this  evening,"  said  he, 
"  the  air  is  damp  and  cold,  and  may  injure  you." 

"Of  what  consequence  would  that  be?"  she  sadly  re- 
sponded. "  Who  would  ask  whether  I  was  ill  or  not  ?  Who 
would  weep  for  my  death  ?  " 

"He!" 

"  Oh,  he ! "  sighed  she.     "  He  hates  all  women  ! " 

"  Excepting  you  ! "  whispered  Ribas.  "  Princess,  go  into 
the  house !  Take  care  of  your  precious  life.  It  is  not  I 
who  beg  it  of  you !  " 


420      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"Who  is  it,  then?"  she  hastily  interposed. 

"  It  is  he  !     He  begs  it  of  you  ! " 

Natalie,  springing  up,  hurried  into  the  house. 

"  I  will  never  again  go  into  the  garden  in  the  evening ! " 
said  she.  "  It  is  his  command  !  Thank  God,  there  is  yet 
something  in  which  I  can  obey,  and  he  commands  it  of  me  ! 
But  why  these  lights  ? "  asked  she,  almost  blinded  by  the 
brilliancy  of  the  girandoles  and  chandeliers,  the  mirrors, 
and  jewels. 

"  The  count  has  so  commanded ! "  said  Ribas.  "  He 
loves  a  bright  light !  But,  princess,  cannot  you  remain  in 
this  boudoir  for  one  evening  ?  Only  see  how  beautiful  it 
is,  how  enticingly  cool,  with  these  fountains  that  refresh 
the  air  and  diffuse  fragrance !  How  delightfully  still  and 
snug  it  is !  Reposing  upon  these  velvet  cushions,  you  can 
look  through  the  whole  suite  of  rooms,  which  in  fact,  to- 
night, flash  and  sparkle  like  the  heavens,  and  yet  in  this 
boudoir  there  is  a  sweet  twilight,  refreshing  to  eye  and 
heart ! " 

"  No,  no,"  said  she,  with  a  charming  smile.  "  I  also  like 
brightness  and  light !     It  is  too  dusky  here !  " 

"  Nevertheless,  remain  here ! " 

"  And  why  ?  " 

"  He  wishes  it !  "  said  Ribas  mysteriously. 

"  He  wishes  it  ?  "  cried  Natalie,  turning  pale,  and  trem- 
bling. Then,  suddenly,  a  purple  flush  spread  over  her 
brow,  and,  reeling,  she  was  obliged  to  hold  by  a  chair  to 
prevent  falling.  "Ah,"  she  stammered,  "can  it  be  possi- 
ble ?  Can  this  happiness  be  intended  ?  Is  it  true,  what  I 
read  in  your  eyes  ?    Is  it  ?    Comes  he  here  ?  " 


HE  I  421 

"  Hope  always ! "  said  Ribas,  suddenly  disappearing 
through  a  side-door. 

Natalie,  benumbed  by  surprise,  sank  down  upon  the 
divan.  A  feeling  of  boundless  anxiety,  of  immeasurable  ec- 
stasy suddenly  overcame  her.  She  could  have  fled,  but  she 
felt  as  if  spell-bound  ;  she  could  have  concealed  herself  from 
him,  and  yet  was  joyfully  ready  to  purchase  with  her  liffe 
the  happiness  of  seeing  him.  It  was  a  strange  mixture  of 
delight  and  terror,  of  happiness  and  despair.  She  spread 
her  arms  toward  heaven,  she  sought  to  pray,  but  she  had  no 
words,  no  thoughts,  not  even  tears ! 

A  slight  rustle  made  her  rise.  Almost  with  terror  flew 
her  glance  through  the  suite  of  rooms.  There  below  she 
saw  the  approach  of  something  strange,  singular,  magical. 
It  was  a  never-before-seen  form,  but  surrounded  by  a  won- 
derfully bright  halo,  enveloped  in  rich,  glittering  garments, 
such  as  she  had  never  before  seen.  It  was  a  strange,  un- 
known face,  but  of  a  sublime,  heroic  beauty,  proud  and 
noble,  bold  and  mild. 

"  That  is  he ! "  she  breathlessly  and  sadly  murmured — 
"  yes,  that  is  he  !  That  is  a  man  and  a  hero  !  Ah,  I  shall 
die  under  his  glance  !  " 

He  still  continued  to  approach,  and  with  every  forward 
step  he  made  she  felt  her  heart  contract  with  anxiety,  ad- 
miration, and  a  feverish  sadness. 

Now  he  stood  on  the  threshold  of  the  boudoir — his 
glance  fell  upon  her.  And  she  ?  She  lay,  or  rather  half 
knelt  upon  the  divan,  motionless,  pale  as  a  marble  statue, 
with  that  divine  smile  which  we  admire  in  ancient  sculp- 
ture. 


422  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

Touching  was  she  to  behold,  white  and  delicate  as  a  lily, 
so  humble  and  devoted,  so  shelter-needing  and  love-im- 
ploring ! 

But  Count  Orloff  felt  neither  sympathy  nor  compassion. 
He  saw  only  that  she  was  beautiful  as  an  angel,  an  admi- 
rable woman,  whom  he  desired  to  possess ! 

Proud  as  a  king,  and  at  the  same  time  very  reverential 
and  submissive,  he  approached  and  sank  upon  his  knee  be- 
fore the  divan  upon  which  she  reclined  in  trembling  yet 
blissful  sadness. 

"Princess  Natalie,"  he  murmured  low,  "  will  you  be  an- 
gry with  your  slave  for  daring  to  intrude  upon  you  without 
knowing  whether  he  would  be  Avelcome  ?  " 

She  breathed  freer.  It  was  a  relief  to  her  to  hear  his 
voice — it  made  her  feel  easier.  He  was  no  magician,  no 
demon,  he  was  a  man,  and  spoke  to  her  with  human  words ! 
That  gave  her  courage  and  strength,  it  gave  her  back  the 
consciousness  of  her  own  dignity.  She  was  ashamed  of  her 
anxiety,  her  trembling,  her  childish  helplessness.  Yet  she 
could  say  nothing,  answer  nothing.  She  only  gave  him  her 
hand,  with  a  charming  smile,  an  inimitable  grace,  and  wel- 
comed him  with  a  silent  inclination  of  the  head. 

Taking  her  hand  he  pressed  it  to  his  lips.  His  touch 
seemed  to  kindle  in  her  an  electric  glow,  and  with  some- 
thing like  alarm  she  withdrew  her  hand. 

"  Are  you,  then,  angry  with  me?  "  he  asked  in  a  tone  of 
sadness. 

"  No,"  said  she,  "  I  am  not  angry,  but  I  fear  you.  You 
are  so  great  a  hero,  and  your  sword  has  done  so  many  brave 
deeds.     I  looked  at  your  sword,  and  it  alarmed  me." 


HE  I  423 

Count  Orloff  gave  her  a  surprised  and  interrogating 
glance.  Why  said  she  that  ?  Had  she  some  suspicion,  some 
mistrust,  or  was  it  only  a  presentiment,  an  inexplicable  in- 
stinct, that  made  her  tremble  at  his  sword  ? 

"  No,  she  suspects  nothing,"  thought  he,  as  he  gazed 
upon  that  pure,  innocent,  childish  brow,  which  was  turned 
toward  him  in  pious  confidence,  and  yet  with  timid  hesita- 
tion. 

He  loosened  his  sword  from  his  girdle,  sparkling  with 
diamonds,  and  humbly  laid  both  at  Natalie's  feet. 

"  Princess,"  said  he,  "  the  empress  herself  girded  me 
with  this  sword,  and  I  swore  it  should  never  leave  my  side 
but  with  my  life.  You  are  dearer  to  me  than  my  life  or  my 
honor,  and  I  therefore  break  my  sacred  oath.  Take  my 
sword,  I  am  now  without  arms,  and  you  will  no  longer  have 
occasion  to  tremble  before  me." 

She  smilingly  shook  her  head.  "  You  still  remain  a 
hero,  though  without  arms — it  lies  in  your  eyes !  " 

"  I  would  close  my  eyes,"  said  he,  "  but  then  I  should 
not  see  you,  princess,  and  I  have  already  so  long  languished 
for  a  sight  of  you  ! " 

"  Why,  then,  came  you  not  sooner  ? "  she  asked,  now 
feeling  herself  entirely  cheerful  and  unembarrassed.  "  Oh, 
did  you  but  know  how  impatiently  I  have  awaited  you  !  " 

And  with  childish  innocence  she  began  to  relate  how 
much  she  had  thought  of  him,  how  often  she  had  dreamed 
of  him,  how  she  had  sometimes  spoken  aloud  to  him,  and 
almost  thought  she  heard  his  answers  ! 

Count  Orloff  listened  to  her  with  surprise  and  delight. 
Thus  had  he  not  expected  to  find  her,  so  childishly  cheer- 


424  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

ful,  so  charmingly  innocent,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  with 
so  much  maidenly  reserve,  so  much  natural  dignity.  Now 
she  laughed  like  a  child,  now  was  her  face  serious  and 
proud,  now  again  tender  and  timid.  She  was  at  once  a 
timid  child  and  a  glowing  woman ;  she  was  innocent  as  an 
angel,  and  yet  so  full  of  sweet,  unconscious  maiden  coquetry. 
She  enchanted,  while  inspiring  devotion,  she  excited  pas- 
sions and  desires,  while,  with  a  natural  maiden  dignity,  she 
kept  one  within  the  bounds  of  respect.  She  was  entirely 
different  from  what  Orloff  had  expected  ;  perhaps  less  beau- 
tiful, less  dazzling,  but  infinitely  more  lovely.  She  en- 
chanted him  with  her  smile,  and  her  innocent  childish  face 
touched  him. 

"  Speak  on,  speak  on ! "  said  he,  when  she  became  silent, 
"  It  is  delightful  to  listen  to  you,  princess." 

"Why  do  you  call  me  so?"  asked  she,  with  a  slight  con- 
traction of  her  brow.  "  It  is  such  a  strange,  cold  word  ! 
It  does  not  at  all  belong  to  me,  and  it  is  only  within  the 
last  few  months  that  I  have  been  thus  addressed.  With 
wise  and  tender  forbearance,  Paulo  long  delayed  informing 
me  that  I  was  a  princess,  and  that  was  beautiful  in  him. 
To  be  a  princess  and  yet  an  orphan,  a  poor,  deserted,  help- 
less child,  living  upon  the  charity  of  a  friend,  and  tremu- 
lously clinging  to  his  protecting  hand  !  See,  that  is  what 
I  am,  a  poor  orphan ;  why,  then,  do  you  call  me  princess !  " 

"Because  you  are  so  in  reality,"  responded  Orloff,  press- 
ing the  hem  of  ber  garment  to  his  lips — "  because  I  am 
come  to  lead  you  to  your  splendid  and  powerful  future ! — 
because  I  will  glorify  you  above  all  women  on  earth,  and 
make  you  mistress  of  this  great  empire." 


HE  I  425 

She  regarded  him  with  a  dreamy  smile.  "  You  speak  as 
Paulo  often  spoke  to  me,"  said  she.  "  He  also  swore  to  me 
that  he  would  one  day  place  an  imperial  crown  upon  my 
head,  and  elevate  me  to  great  power  !  I  understood  him  as 
little  as  I  understand  you  !  " 

A  slight  scornful  smile  momentarily  passed  over  Or- 
loff's  features.  "  Catharine  has  therefore  rightly  divined," 
thought  he,  "  and  her  wise  mind  rightly  understood  this 
Easczinsky.  There  was,  indeed,  question  of  an  imperial 
crown,  and  this  was  to  have  been  the  new  little  em- 
press ! " 

Aloud  he  said :  "  You  will  soon  understand  me,  prin- 
cess, and  it  is  time  you  knew  of  what  crown  Paulo  spoke." 

"  I  know  it  not,"  said  she,  "  nor  do  I  desire  to  know 
it !  Perhaps  it  was  a  jest,  with  which  he  sought  to  con- 
sole me  when  I  complained  of  being  a  homeless  orphan,  a 
poor  child,  who  knew  not  even  the  name  of  her  mother  !  " 

"  Do  you  not  know  that  ?  "  exclaimed  Orlofif,  with  aston- 
ishment. 

She  sadly  shook  her  head.  "  They  would  never  tell  it 
me,"  said  she.  "  But  I  have  her  image  in  my  heart,  and 
that,  at  least,  I  shall  never  lose  or  forget ! " 

"  I  knew  your  mother,"  said  Orloff ;  "  she  was  beautiful 
as  you  are,  and  mild  and  merciful." 

"  You  knew  her ! "  exclaimed  the  young  maiden,  grasp- 
ing his  hand  and  looking  at  him  with  a  confiding  friendli- 
ness. "  Oh,  you  knew  her !  You  will  now  be  doubly  dear 
to  me,  for  those  bright  eyes  have  seen  my  mother,  and  per- 
haps this  hand  which  now  rests  in  mine  has  also  touched 

hers!" 

28 


426  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  That,"  said  Count  Orloff,  with  a  smile,  "  I  should  not 
have  dared  to  do  ;  it  would  have  been  high-treason !  " 

"  Was  she,  then,  so  great  and  sublime  a  princess  ?  "  asked 
Natalie. 

"  She  was  an  empress  !  " 

"An  empress!"  And  the  young  maiden,  sprang  up 
with  beaming  eyes  and  glowing  cheeks.  "  My  mother  was 
an  empress  !  "  said  she,  breathing  hard. 

"  Empress  Elizabeth  of  Russia." 

Overcome  by  the  feelings  suddenly  excited  by  this  news, 
Natalie  sank  again  upon  her  seat  and  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands.  Tears  gushed  out  between  her  delicate,  slender 
fingers ;  her  whole  being  was  in  violent,  feverish  commotion. 
Then,  raising  her  arms  toward  heaven,  with  a  celestial  smile, 
while  the  tears  overflowed  her  face,  she  said  :  "I  am,  then, 
no  longer  a  homeless  orphan ;  I  have  a  fatherland,  and  my 
mother  was  an  empress ! " 

Count  Orloff  respectfully  kissed  the  hem  of  her  gar- 
ment. 

"  You  are  the  daughter  of  an  empress,"  said  he,  "  and 
will  yourself  be  an  empress !  That  was  what  Paulo  wished, 
and  therefore  have  they  condemned  him  as  a  criminal. 
What  he  was  unable  to  accomplish' must  be  done  by  me,  and 
for  that  purpose  have  I  come.  Princess  Natalie,  your 
fatherland  calls  you,  your  throne  awaits  you  !  Follow  mc 
to  your  crowning  in  the  city  of  your  fathers — follow  me, 
that  I  may  place  the  crown  of  your  grandfather,  Peter  the 
Great,  upon  your  noble  and  beautiful  head !  " 


THE  WARNING.  427 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE  WARNING. 

From  this  time  forward  Alexis  Orloff  was  the  insepara- 
ble companion  of  Natalie.  With  the  most  reverential  sub- 
mission, and  at  the  same  time  with  the  tenderest  affection, 
seemed  he  to  be  devoted  to  her,  and  equally  to  adore  her  as 
his  empress  and  his  beloved. 

He  took  pains  to  represent  to  her  that  she  was  necessa- 
rily and  inevitably  destined  to  become  an  empress. 

And  she  had  comprehended  him  but  too  well.  Ambition 
was  awakened  in  this  young  maiden  of  eighteen  years ;  it 
was  an  imperial  crown  that  called  her — why  should  she  not 
listen  to  this  call  coming  from  the  lips  of  one  in  whom  she 
had  unlimited  confidence,  and  toward  whom  she  felt  infi- 
nitely grateful ? 

He  had  unfolded  and  explained  all  to  her.  He  had  told 
her  of  her  mother,  the  good  Empress  Elizabeth,  who  had 
made  Russia  so  great  and  happy ;  he  had  explained  to  her 
how  Count  Paulo  Rasczinsky  had  flown  with  her  on  the  day 
of  her  mother's  death,  in  order  to  preserve  her  from  the 
pursuits  of  her  mother's  successor,  the  cunning  and  cruel 
Peter  HI.,  and  to  insure  her  the  realm  at  a  later  period. 
He  had  then  spoken  to  her  of  Catharine,  who  had  forcibly 
possessed  herself  of  the  throne  of  her  unworthy  husband, 
and  taken  the  reins  of  government  into  her  own  hands. 
He  had  spoken  to  her  of  Catharine's  cruelty  and  despotic 
tyranny;  he  had  told  her  that  all  Russia  groaned  under 
the  oppression  of  this  foreigner,  and  that  a  universal  cry 


4-28      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

was  heard  through  the  whole  realm,  of  lamentation  and 
longing,  a  cry  for  her,  the  Russian  princess,  the  grand- 
daughter of  Peter  the  Great,  the  daughter  of  the  beloved 
Elizabeth. 

"  You  are  called  for  by  all  these  millions  of  your  op- 
pressed subjects  now  trodden  in  the  dust,"  said  he ;  "  toward 
you  they  stretch  forth  their  trembling  hands,  from  you  they 
expect  relief  and  consolation,  from  you  they  expect  happi- 
ness ! " 

"  And  I  will  bring  them  happiness,"  exclaimed  Natalie, 
with  emotion.  "  I  will  dry  the  tears  of  misery  and  console 
the  suffering.  Oh,  my  people  shall  love  me  as  my  mother 
once  did ! " 

"  The  noblest  of  the  land  have  pledged  their  property 
and  their  lives  to  give  you  back  to  your  people,"  said  Or- 
loff ;  "  we  have  solemnly  sworn  it  upon  the  altar  of  God, 
and  for  the  attainment  of  this  end  no  one  of  us  will  shun 
want  or  death,  treason  or  revolt.  Look  at  me,  Natalie  !  I 
stand  before  you  as  a  traitor  to  this  empress,  to  whom  I 
have  sworn  faith  and  obedience;  she  has  heaped  favors 
upon  me,  and  at  one  time  I  was  even  passionately  devoted 
to  her !  But  Count  Paulo  awoke  me  from  that  intoxica- 
tion ;  he  roused  me  from  the  condition  of  a  favorite  of  the 
empress ;  he  taught  me  to  see  the  cruel,  bloodthirsty  em- 
press in  her  true  form ;  he  spoke  to  me  of  your  sacred 
rights,  and  when  I  recognized  and  comprehended  them,  I 
collected  myself,  vowed  myself  your  knight,  devoting  my- 
self to  the  defence  of  your  rights,  and  swore  to  leave  no 
artifice,  no  dissimulation,  nor  even  treason  itself,  unessayed 
for  the  promotion  of  this  great,  this  sublime  object !    Prin- 


THE  WARNING.  429 

cess  Natalie,  for  your  sake  I  have  become  a  traitor  !  The 
admiral  of  the  Russian  fleet,  he  whom  the  world  calls  the 
favorite  of  the  empress,  Count  Alexis  Orloff,  lies  at  your 
feet  and  swears  to  you  eternal  faith,  devotion,  and  adora- 
tion ! " 

"  Alexis  Orloff ! "  she  joyfully  exclaimed,  "  at  length, 
then,  I  have  a  name  by  which  I  can  call  you !  Alexis,  was 
not  that  the  name  of  my  father  ?  Oh,  that  is  a  good  omen  ! 
You  bear  the  name  of  my  father,  whom  my  mother  so 
dearly  loved  ! " 

"  And  whom  the  empress,  impelled  by  love,  raised  to 
the  position  of  her  husband,"  whispered  Orloff,  bending 
nearer  to  her  and  pressing  her  hand  to  his  bosom.  Could 
you,  indeed,  love  as  warmly  and  devotedly  as  your  mother 
loved  her  Alexis  ?  " 

The  young  maiden  blushed  and  trembled,  but  a  sweet 
smile  played  upon  her  lips,  and  although  she  cast  down  her 
eyes  and  did  not  look  at  him,  yet  Count  Orloff  saw  that  he 
had  given  no  offence,  and  might  venture  still  further. 

He  gently  encircled  her  delicate  form  with  his  arm,  and, 
inclining  his  mouth  so  close  to  her  ear  that  she  felt  his 
hot  breath  upon  her  cheek,  whispered  :  "  Will  Natalie  love 
her  Alexis  as  Elizabeth  loved  Alexis  Razumovsky?  Ah, 
you  know  not  how  boundlessly,  how  immeasurably  I  love 
you  !  Yes,  immeasurably,  Natalie.  You  are  my  happiness, 
my  life,  my  future.  Command  me,  rule  me,  make  of  me  a 
traitor,  a  murderer  !  I  will  do  whatever  you  command ;  at 
your  desire  I  could  even  murder  my  own  father !  Only  tell 
me,  Natalie,  that  you  do  not  hate  me ;  tell  me  that  my  love 
will  not  be  rejected  by  you  ;  that  this  passion,  under  which 


430  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

I  almost  succumb,  has  found  an  echo  in  your  heart,  and 
that  you  will  one  day  say  to  me,  as  Elizabeth  said  to  your 
father,  '  Alexis,  I  love  you,  and  will  therefore  make  you  my 
husband  ! '  You  are  silent,  Natalie ;  have  you  no  word  of 
sympathy,  of  compassion  for  me?  Ah,  I  offer  up  all  to 
you,  and  you — " 

He  could  proceed  no  further ;  he  saw  her  turn  toward 
him ;  he  suddenly  felt  a  glowing  kiss  upon  his  lips,  and 
then,  springing  up  from  her  seat,  she  fled  through  the 
rooms  like  a  frightened  roe,  and  took  refuge  in  her  boudoir, 
which  she  locked  behind  her. 

Orloff  glanced  after  her  with  a  triumphant  smile.  "  She 
is  mine,"  thought  he ;  *'  I  am  here  living  through  a  charm- 
ing romance,  and  Catharine  will  be  satisfied  with  me ! " 

Yes,  she  was  his ;  she  now  knew  that  she  loved  him, 
and  with .  joyful  ecstasy  she  took  this  new  and  delightful 
feeling  to  her  heart ;  she  welcomed  it  as  the  joy-promising 
dawn  of  a  new  day,  a  precious  new  life.  She  permitted  this 
feeling  to  stream  through  her  whole  being,  her  whole  soul ; 
she  made  it  a  worship  for  her  whole  existence. 

"  You  see,"  she  said  to  Marianne,  "  so  had  I  dreamed 
the  man  whom  I  should  one  day  love.  So  brave,  so  proud, 
so  beautiful.  Ah,  it  is  so  charming  to  be  obliged  to  trem- 
ble before  the  man  one  loves  ;  it  is  so  sweet  to  cling  to  him 
and  think  :  '  I  am  nothing  of  myself,  but  all  through  thee ! 
I  am  the  ivy  and  thou  the  oak  ;  thou  wilt  hold  and  sustain 
me,  and  if  a  storm-wind  comes,  thou  wilt  not  waver,  but 
stand  firm  and  great  in  thy  heroic  strength,  and  protect 
me,  and  impart  courage  and  confidence  even  to  me ! '  " 

She  loved  him,  and  clung  to  him  with  boundless  confi- 


THE  WARNING.  431 

dence,  but  she  was  yet  so  full  of  tender  maiden  timidity 
that  she  could  confess  to  him  nothing  of  this  love ;  and 
since  that  kiss  she  shyly  avoided  him,  and  constantly  left 
his  often-renevt^ed  love-questions  unanswered. 

At  this  Alexis  secretly  laughed.  "  She  will  come 
round,"  said  he ;  "  she  will  finally  be  compelled  to  it  by  her 
own  feelings.  I  will  give  her  time  and  leisure  to  come  to  a 
knowledge  of  herself  ! " 

And  for  some  days  he  kept  away  from  the  villa,  pre- 
tending pressing  business,  and  left  the  poor  isolated  princess 
to  her  languishing  love-dreams. 

It  was  precisely  in  these  days  that,  on  one  forenoon,  a 
carriage  of  indifferent  appearance,  adorned  with  no  heraldic 
arms,  stopped  before  the  villa ;  a  man  closely  enveloped  in 
a  mantle,  his  hat  pressed  deeply  down  over  his  forehead, 
issued  from  the  carriage  and  rang  the  bell. 

Of  the  servant  who  answered  the  bell  he  hastily  in- 
quired if  the  princess  was  at  home  and  alone ;  these  ques- 
tions being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  the  servant 
having  asked  his  name  in  order  to  announce  him,  the 
stranger  said,  almost  in  a  commanding  tone :  "  The  princess 
knows  my  name,  and  will  gladly  welcome  me;  therefore 
lead  me  directly  to  her  ! " 

"  The  princess  receives  no  one,"  said  the  servant,  placing 
himself  in  a  position  to  prevent  the  stranger's  entrance. 

"  She  will  receive  me,"  said  the  unknown,  dropping 
some  gold-pieces  into  the  servant's  hand. 

"  I  will  conduct  you  to  her,"  said  the  suddenly  mollified 
servant,  but  I  do  it  on  your  own  responsibility." 

Princess  Natalie  was  in  her  boudoir.     She  was  alone, 


432  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

and  thinking,  in  a  languishing  reverie,  of  her  friend,  who 
had  now  been  two  days  absent.  On  hearing  a  light  knock 
at  the  door,  she  sprang  up  from  her  seat. 

"It  is  he!"  she  murmured,  and  with  glowing  cheeks 
she  hastened  to  the  door. 

But  on  finding  there  a  strange  and  closely-enveloped 
form,  Natalie  timidly  drew  back. 

The  stranger  entered,  closing  the  door  behind  him, 
threw  back  his  mantle  and  took  off  the  hat  that  shaded  his 
face. 

"  Cardinal  Bernis !  "  cried  Natalie,  with  surprise. 

"  Ah,  then  you  yet  recognize  me,  princess ! "  said  Bernis. 
"  That  is  beautiful  in  you,  and  therefore  you  will  not  be 
angry  with  me  for  calling  upon  you  unannounced.  I  knew 
that  I  should  find  you  alone,  and  this  was  a  too  fortunate 
circumstance  for  me  to  let  it  pass  unimproved.  I  must 
speak  to  you,  princess,  even  at  the  hazard  of  proving  tire- 
some." 

Natalie  said,  with  a  soft  smile  :  "  You  were  the  friend  of 
Count  Paulo,  and  therefore  can  never  prove  tiresome  to  me ! 
I  bid  you  welcome,  cardinal ! " 

"  It  is  precisely  because  I  was  Count  Paulo's  friend,  that 
I  have  come ! "  said  Bernis,  seriously.  "  The  count  loved 
you,  princess,  and  what  I  did  not  know  at  the  time  is 
known  to  me  now.  Because  he  loved  and  was  devoted  to 
you,  he  hazarded  his  life,  and  more  than  his  life,  his  lib- 
erty." 

"  And  they  have  robbed  him  of  that  precious  liberty," 
sighed  Natalie.  "For  his  fidelity  to  me  they  have  con- 
demned him  to  a  shameful  imprisonment ! " 


THE  WAKNING.  433 

You  know  that ! "  exclaimed  Bernis,  with  astonishment, 
"  you  know  that,  and  nevertheless — "  Then,  interrupting 
himself,  he  broke  off,  and  after  a  pause  continued :  "  Par- 
don me  one  question,  and  if  you  deem  it  indiscreet,  please 
remember  that  it  is  put  to  you  by  an  old  man  and  a  priest, 
and  that  his  only  object  is,  if  possible  to  be  useful  to  you. 
Do  you  love  Count  Paulo  Rasczinsky  ?  " 

"  I  love  him,"  said  she,  "  as  one  loves  a  father.  I  shall 
always  be  grateful  to  him,  and  shall  never  esteem  myself 
happy  until  I  have  liberated  him  and  restored  him  to  bis 
country ! " 

"You  liberate  him  I"  sadly  exclaimed  Bernis.  "Ah, 
then  you  know  not,  you  do  not  once  dream,  that  you  are 
yourself  surrounded  by  dangers,  that  your  own  liberty,  in- 
deed your  life  itself,  is  threatened." 

"  I  know  it,"  calmly  responded  the  young  maiden,  "  but 
I  also  know  that  strong  and  powerful  friends  stand  by  my 
side,  who  will  protect  and  defend  me  with  their  lives." 

"  But  how  if  these  friends  are  deceiving  you — if  pre- 
cisely they  are  your  bitterest  enemies  and  destroyers?" 

"  Sir  Cardinal !  "  exclaimed  Natalie,  reddening  with  in- 
dignation. 

"Oh,  I  may  not  anger  you,"  he  continued,  "but  it  is 
my  duty  to  warn  you,  princess !  They  have  undoubtedly 
deceived  you  with  false  pretensions,  and  in  some  deceitful 
way  obtained  your  confidence.  Tell  me,  princess,  do  you 
know  the  name  ot  this  count  whom  you  daily  receive 
here?" 

"  It  is  Count  Alexis  OrlofE,"  said  the  young  maiden, 
blushing. 


4:34       THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  You  know  him,  know  his  name,  and  yet  you  confide  in 
him ! "  exclaimed  the  cardinal.  "  But  it  cannot  be  that 
you  know  his  history :  have  you  any  idea  to  whom  he  is  in- 
debted for  his  prosperity  and  greatness  ?  " 

"  The  Empress  Catharine,  his  mistress,"  said  Natalie, 
without  embarrassment. 

The  cardinal  looked,  with  increasing  astonishment,  into 
her  calm,  smiling  face.  "I  now  comprehend  it  all,"  he 
then  said ;  "  they  have  laid  a  very  shrewd  and  cunning 
plan.  They  have  deceived  you  while  telling  you  a  part  of 
the  truth ! " 

"  No  one  has  deceived  me,"  indignantly  responded  Nata- 
lie. "  I  tell  you.  Sir  Cardinal,  that  I  am  neither  deceived 
nor  overreached,  easy  as  you  seem  to  think  it  to  deceive 
me!" 

"  Oh,  it  is  always  easy  to  deceive  innocence  and  noble- 
ness," sadly  remarked  the  cardinal.  "  Listen  to  me,  prin- 
cess, and  think,  I  conjure  you,  that  this  time  a  true  and 
sincere  friend  is  speaking  to  you." 

"And  how  shall  I  recognize  that?"  asked  the  young 
maiden,  with  a  slight  touch  of  irony.  "  How  shall  I  recog- 
nize a  friend,  when,  as  you  say,  it  is  precisely  my  pretended 
friends  who  are  my  enemies ! " 

"  Recognize  me  by  this !  "  said  the  cardinal,  drawing  a 
folded  paper  from  his  bosom  and  handing  it  to  the  princess. 

"  That  is  Count  Paulo's  handwriting ! "  she  joyfully  ex- 
claimed. 

"  Ah,  you  recognize  the  handwriting,"  said  the  cardinal, 
"  and  you  see  that  this  letter  is  addressed  to  me.  Count 
Paulo  therefore  considers  me  his  friend ! " 


THE  WARNING.  435 

"  May  I  read  this  letter?" 

"  I  beg  you  to  do  so." 

Natalie  unfolded  the  letter  and  read :  "  Warn  the  Prin- 
cess Tartaroff ;  danger  threatens  her ! " 

"  That  is  all  ?  "  she  asked  with  a  smile. 

"  That  is  all ! "  said  the  cardinal ;  "  but  when  Paulo  con- 
sidered these  few  words  of  sufficient  importance  to  send 
them  to  me,  you  may  well  suppose  they  are  of  the  utmost 
significance." 

"  Count  Paulo  is  in  Siberia,"  said  Natalie,  shaking  her 
head ;  "  how  could  he  have  written  you  from  thence  ?  " 

"  How  he  succeeded  in  doing  so,  I  know  not,  but  the 
firm,  determined  will  of  man  often  conquers  supposed  im- 
possibilities !  Enough — in  a  mysterious,  enigmatical  man- 
ner was  this  letter  put  into  the  hands  of  our  ambassador  at 
St.  Petersburg,  with  the  most  urgent  prayer  that  he  would 
immediately  send  it  to  me  by  a  special  courier,  with  all  the 
necessary  particulars." 

"  And  was  that  done  ?  "  asked  Natalie. 

"  It  was  done !  I  know  why  your  life  is  threatened ! 
Princess  Tartaroff,  you  are  the  daughter  of  the  Empress 
Elizabeth ;  and  therefore  it  is  that  this  Empress  Catharine, 
upon  her  usurped  throne,  trembles  with  fear  of  you — there- 
fore was  it  that  she  said  to  her  favorite :  '  Go,  and  deliver 
me  from  this  troublesome  pretender.  But  do  it  in  a  sly, 
cautious,  and  noiseless  manner.  Avoid  attracting  attention, 
murder  her  not,  threaten  her  not ;  I  wish  not  to  give  peo- 
ple new  reasons  for  calling  me  a  bloodthirsty  woman.  En- 
tice her  with  flatteries  into  our  net,  induce  her  to  follow 
you  voluntarily,  that  the  people  of  no  country  in  which  she 


436      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

may  be  may  have  an  occasion  to  accuse  us  of  using  force.' 
Thus  did  Catharine  speak  to  her  favorite ;  he  understood 
her  and  swore  to  execute  her  commands,  as  he  did  when 
I  Catharine  ordered  him  to  throttle  her  husband,  the  Em- 
peror  Peter ;  as  he  also  did  when  she  ordered  him  to  shoot 
poor  Ivan,  the  son  of  Anna  Leopoldowna,  for  the  criminal 
reason  that  he  had  a  greater  right  to  the  imperial  crown  of 
Russia  than  this  little  German  princess  of  Zerbst !  " 

"  And  he  shot  that  poor  innocent  Ivan  ?  "  shudderingly 
asked  Natalie.  "  Ah,  this  Catharine  is  bloodthirsty  as 
a  hyena,  and  her  friends  and  favorites  are  hangmen's  serv- 
ants— ah,  history  will  brand  this  murderer  of  Ivan  ! " 

"It  will,"  solemnly  responded  Cardinal  Bernis,  "and 
people  will  shudder  when  they  hear  j;he  name  of  the  man 
who  strangled  the  Emperor  Peter,  who  shot  Ivan,  and  who, 
at  the  command  of  Catharine,  has  come  to  Italy  to  ensnare 
the  noble  and  innocent  Princess  Tartaroff  with  cunning  and 
flatteries  and  convey  her  to  St.  Petersburg.  Shall  I  tell  you 
this  man's  name  ?    He  is  called  Alexis  Orloil !  " 

The  young  maiden  sprang  up  from  her  seat,  her  eyes 
flashed,  and  her  cheeks  glowed. 

"  That  is  false,"  said  she — "  a  shameful,  malicious  false- 
hood ! " 

"  Would  to  God  it  were  so ! "  cried  the  cardinal.  "  But 
it  is  too  true,  princess !  Oh,  listen  to  me,  and  close  not  your 
ears  to  the  truth.  Remember  that  I  am  an  old  man,  who 
has  long  observed  men,  and  long  studied  life.  I  know  this 
Russian  diplomacy,  and  this  Russian  craft ;  they  have  in 
them  something  devilish ;  and  these  Russian  diplomatists, 
they  poison  and  confound  the  shrewdest  with  their  deceitful 


THE  WARNING.  437 

smiles  and  infernal  cunning.  Guard  yourself,  princess, 
against  this  Kussian  diplomacy,  and,  above  all  things,  be  on 
your  guard  against  this  ambassador  of  the  Kussian  empress, 
Alexis  Orloff ! " 

"  Ah,  you  dare  to  defame  him ! "  cried  the  young  maiden, 
trembling  with  anger.  "  You  have,  therefore,  never  seen 
him ;  you  have  never  read  in  his  noble  face  that  Count 
Alexis  Orloff  can  never  betray.  He  is  a  hero,  and  a  hero 
never  descends  to  a  murder !  Ah,  if  the  whole  world  should 
rise  up  against  him,  if  it  should  point  the  finger  at  him  and 
say  :  '  That  is  a  murderer ! '  I  would  cry  in  the  face  of  the 
whole  world :  '  Thou  liest !  Alexis  Orloff  can  never  be  a 
murderer !  I  know  him  better,  and  know  that  he  is  pure 
and  clear  of  every  crime.  You  may  continue  to  call  him  a 
betrayer !  I  know  why  he  suffers  himself  to  be  so  called !  I 
know  the  secret  of  his  conduct,  and  a  day  will  come  when 
you  will  all  learn  it ;  when  you  will  all  feel  compelled  to  fall 
down  at  his  feet  and  confess,  "  Alexis  Orloff  is  no  false  be- 
trayer ! "  For  the  sake  of  her  to  whom  he  has  vowed  fidelity 
has  he  borne  this  shame.  For  her  whom  he  loved  has  he 
staked  his  blood  and  his  life !    Alexis  Orloff  is  a  hero ! ' " 

She  was  strangely  beautiful  while  speaking  with  such 
spirit  and  animation.  The  cardinal  observed  her  noble  and 
excited  features  with  an  admiration  mingled  with  the  most 
painful  emotions. 

"  Poor  child  ! "  he  murmured,  dropping  his  head — "  poor 
child,  she  loves  him,  and  is  therefore  lost ! " 

"You,  then,  do  not  believe  me?"  he  asked  aloud. 

"  No,"  said  she,  with  a  glad  smile — "  no,  all  the  happi- 
ness I  ever  expect,  all  the  good  that  may  hereafter  come 


438  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

to  me,  I  shall  receive  only  from  the  hands  of  Alexis  Or- 
loff!" 

"  Poor  child ! "  sighed  the  cardinal.  "  In  many  a  case 
even  death  may  prove  a  blessing !  " 

"  Then  will  I  also  joyfully  receive  even  that  from  his 
hands ! "  cried  the  young  maiden,  with  enthusiasm. 

"  It  is  in  vain,  she  is  not  to  be  helped  ! "  murmured  the 
cardinal,  with  a  melancholy  shake  of  the  head,  and,  grasping 
the  hand  of  the  young  maiden,  with  a  compassionate  glance 
at  her  fair  face,  he  continued  :  "  I  would  gladly  aid  you,  and 
thereby  expiate  the  evil  you  once  suffered  at  my  festival ! 
But  you  will  not  consent  to  be  aided.  You  rush  to  your 
destruction,  and  it  is  your  noblest  qualities,  your  inno- 
cence, and  your  generous  confidence,  which  are  prepar- 
ing your  ruin !  May  God  bless  you  and  preserve  you ! 
How  glad  I  should  be  to  find  myself  a  liar  and  false 
prophet ! " 

"  And  you  will  so  find  yourself ! "  exclaimed  Natalie. 

"  You  believe  it,  because  you  are  in  love,  and  when  a 
woman  loves  she  believes  in  the  object  of  her  love,  and  smil- 
ingly offers  up  her  life  for  him  !  Like  all  women,  you  will 
do  so !  You  will  sacrifice  your  life  to  your  love ;  and  when 
this  barbarian  thrusts  the  dagger  in  your  heart,  you  will  say 
with  a  smile :  '  I  did  it !  I,  myself — ' " 

And,  bowing  to  her  with  a  sad  smile,  slowly  and  sighing, 
the  cardinal  left  the  room. 

Some  hours  later  came  Alexis  Orloff.  Natalie  received 
him  with  an  expression  of  the  purest  pleasure,  and,  extend- 
ing both  hands  to  him,  smilingly  said : 

"  Know  you  yet  what  my  mother  said  to  her  lover  ?  " 


THE  WARNING.  439 

Looking  at  her,  he  read  his  happiness  in  her  face.  With 
an  exclamation  of  ecstasy  he  fell  at  her  feet. 

"  I  know  it  well,  but  you,  Natalie,  do  you  also  know  it  ?  " 
he  passionately  asked. 

Natalie  smiled.  "  Alexis,"  said  she,  "  I  love  you,  and 
therefore  will  I  raise  you  to  my  side  as  my  husband ! "  and 
with  a  charming  modest  blush  she  drew  the  count  up  to  her 
arms 

"  You  do  not  deceive  me,  and  this  is  no  dream  ? "  he 
cried,  while  glowingly  embracing  her. 

"  No,"  said  she,  "  it  is  the  truth,  and  I  owe  you  this  satis- 
faction. You  have  been  slandered  to  me  to-day.  Ah,  they 
shall  see  how  little  I  believe  them.  Alexis,  call  a  priest  to 
bless  our  union,  and  make  me  your  wife.  Whatever  then 
may  come,  we  will  share  it  with  each  other.  If  I  am  one 
day  empress,  you  will  be  the  emperor,  and  I  will  always 
honor  and  obey  you  as  my  lord  and  master." 

On  the  evening  of  this  day  a  very  serious  and  solemn 
ceremony  took  place  in  the  boudoir  of  Princess  Natalie.  An 
altar  wreathed  with  flowers  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  room, 
and  before  the  altar  stood  Natalie  in  a  white  satin  robe,  the 
myrtle-crown  upon  her  head,  the  long  bridal  veil  waving 
around  her  delicate  form.  She  was  very  beautiful  in  her 
joyful,  modest  emotion,  and  Count  Alexis  Orloff,  who,  in  a 
rich  Russian  costume  stood  by  her  side,  viewed  her  with 
ecstatic  and  warm  desiring  glances.  The  inhuman  execu- 
tioner led  the  lamb  to  the  slaughter  without  pity  or  com- 
punction ! 

At  the  other  side  of  the  altar  stood  the  priest,  a  reverend 
old  man,  with  long  flowing  silver  hair  and  beard.     Near 


440  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

him  the  sacristan,  not  less  reverend  in  appearance.  No  one 
else  was  present  except  Marianne,  who,  in  tears,  knelt  behind 
her  mistress,  and  with  folded  hands  prayed  for  her  beloved 
princess,  who  was  now  marrying  Count  Alexis  OrlofE. 

The  solemn  ceremony  was  at  an  end,  and  the  young 
wife  sank  weeping  into  the  arms  of  her  husband,  who,  with 
tenderest  whisperings,  led  her  into  the  next  room. 

Marianne,  overcome  by  her  tears  and  emotions,  hastened 
to  her  own  room,  and  the  reverend  priest  remained  alone 
with  his  sacristan. 

They  silently  looked  at  each  other,  and  their  faces  were 
distorted  by  a  knavish,  grinning  laugh. 

"  It  was  a  wonderful  scene,"  said  the  priest,  who  was  no 
other  than  Joseph  Ribas.  "  In  earnest,  I  was  quite  affected 
by  it  myself,  and  I  came  near  weeping  at  my  own  sublime 
homily.  Confess,  Stephano,  that  a  consecrated  priest  could 
not  have  better  gone  through  the  ceremony." 

"We  have  both  performed  our  parts,"  simpered  Ste- 
phano, the  sacristan,  "  and  I  think  the  count  must  be  satis- 
fied with  us." 

At  that  moment  the  count  returned  to  the  room.  Nat- 
alie had  begged  to  be  left  alone — she  needed  solitude  and 
prayer. 

The  priest,  Joseph  Ribas,  and  the  sacristan,  Stephano, 
gave  him  sly,  interrogating  glances. 

"I  am  satisfied  with  you,"  said  Orloff,  with  a  smile. 
"  You  are  both  excellent  actors.  This  new  little  countess 
was  pleased  and  touched  by  your  discourse,  Joseph,  my 
very  worthy  priest.  Where  did  you  learn  this  new  vil- 
lainy?" 


THE   WARNING.  44^1 

"In  the  high  school  of  the  galleys,  your  excellency," 
said  Ribas.  "  Only  there  is  one  taught  such  precious 
things.  We  had  a  priest  there,  a  real  consecrated  priest, 
who  was  sentenced  for  life.  From  etmiii  he  gave  lessons 
to  the  smartest  among  us  in  his  art,  and  taught  us  how  to 
fold  the  hands,  roll  the  eyes,  and  render  the  voice  tremu- 
lous. But  now,  your  excellency,  one  thing !  You  desired 
to  know  who  it  was  that  warned  your  princess  to-day.  I 
can  now  give  you  information  on  that  point.  It  was  the 
French  Cardinal  Bernis  !  " 

"They  are,  therefore,  beginning  to  observe  our  move- 
ments," thoughtfully  remarked  Orloff,  "  and  these  gentle- 
men diplomatists  wish  to  take  a  hand  in  the  game.  Ah,  we 
understand  the  French  policy.  It  is  the  same  now  that  it 
was  when  they  helped  to  make  the  Princess  Elizabeth  em- 
press. At  that  time  they  interposed,  that  Russia  might  be 
so  occupied  with  her  own  affairs  as  to  have  no  time  for 
looking  into  those  of  France.  Precisely  so  is  it  to-day. 
They  would  compassionate  the  daughter  as  they  did  the 
mother.  With  the  help  of  Natalie  they  would  again  bless 
Russia  with  a  revolution,  that  we  might  not  have  time  to 
observe  the  events  now  fermenting  in  France.  But  this 
time  we  shall  be  more  cautious,  my  shrewd  French  cardinal. 
Stephano,  let  every  preparation  be  made  for  our  immediate 
departure.  We  are  no  longer  safe  and  unobserved  here. 
Therefore  we  will  go  to  Leghorn." 

"  We  alone,  or  with  the  princess  ?  "  asked  Stephano. 

"  My  wife  will  naturally  accompany  me,"  said  Orloff, 
with  a  derisive  smile. 

"  Will  she  consent  to  leave  Rome  ?  "  asked  Joseph  Ribas. 
29 


442      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS: 

"  I  shall  request  her  to  do  so,"  proudly  replied  Orloff, 
"  and  1  think  my  request  will  be  a  command  to  her." 

And  the  proud  count  was  not  mistaken.  His  request 
was  a  command  for  her.  He  told  her  she  must  leave  Rome 
because  she  was  no  longer  in  safety  there,  and  Princess 
Natalie  believed  him. 

"  We  will  go  to  Leghorn,  and  there  await  the  arrival  of 
the  Russian  fleet,"  said  he.  "  When  that  fleet  shall  have 
safely  arrived,  then  our  ends  will  be  attained,  then  we  shall 
have  conquered,  for  then  it  will  be  evident  that  the  empress 
has  conceived  no  suspicion  ;  and  I  am  the  commander  of 
that  fleet,  which  is  wholly  manned  with  conspirators  who 
all  await  you  as  their  empress.  Will  you  follow  me  to  Leg- 
horn, Natalie  ?  " 

She  clung  with  tender  submissiveness  to  his  bosom. 

"  I  will  follow  you  everywhere,"  murmured  she,  "  and 
any  place  to  which  you  conduct  me  will  be  a  paradise  for 
me!" 


CHAPTER  XLVL 

THE    RUSSIAN    FLEET. 

Unsuspectingly  had  she  followed  Orloff  to  Leghorn ; 
full  of  devoted  tenderness,  full  of  glowing  love,  she  was  only 
anxious  to  fulfil  all  his  wishes  and  to  constantly  afford  him 
new  proofs  of  her  affection. 

And  how  ?  Did  he  not  deserve  that  love  ?  Was  he  not 
constantly  paying  her  the  most  delicate  attentions  ?  Was 
he  not  always  as  humbly  submissive  as  he  was  tender?    Did 


THE  RUSSIAN  FLEET.  443 

it  not  seem  as  if  the  lion  was  subdued,  that  the  Hercules 
was  tamed,  by  his  tender  Omphale,  whom  he  adored,  at 
whose  feet  he  lay  for  the  purpose  of  looking  into  her  eyes, 
to  read  in  them  her  most  secret  thoughts  and  wishes? 

She  was  not  only  his  wife,  she  was  also  his  empress. 
Such  he  called  her,  as  such  he  respected  her,  and  surrounded 
her  with  more  than  imperial  splendor. 

The  house  of  the  English  Consul  Dyke  was  changed 
into  an  imperial  palace  for  Natalie,  and  the  young  and 
beautiful  wife  of  the  consul  was  her  first  lady  of  honor. 
She  established  a  court  for  the  young  imperial  princess,  she 
surrounded  her  with  numerous  servants  and  a  splendid 
train  of  attendants  whose  duty  it  was  to  follow  the  illustri- 
ous young  empress  everywhere,  and  never  to  leave  her ! 

And  Natalie  suspected  not  that  this  English  consul  re- 
ceived from  the  Empress  of  Russia  a  million  of  silver  ru- 
bles, and  that  his  wife  was  rewarded  with  a  costly  set  of 
brilliants  for  the  hospitality  shown  to  this  Russian  princess, 
which  was  so  well  calculated  to  deceive  not  only  Natalie 
herself,  but  also  the  European  courts  whose  attention  had 
been  aroused.  Natalie  suspected  not  that  her  splendid 
train,  her  numerous  servants — that  all  these  who  apparently 
viewed  her  as  their  sublime  mistress,  were  really  nothing 
more  than  spies  and  jailors,  who  watched  her  every  step, 
her  every  word,  her  every  glance.  Poor  child,  she  suspected 
nothing !  They  honored  and  treated  her  as  an  empress,  and 
she  believed  them,  smiling  with  delight  when  tlie  people  of 
Leghorn — whenever  she  with  her  splendid  retinue  appeared 
at  her  husband's  side — shouted  with  every  demonstration  of 
respect  for  her  as  an  empress. 


444  THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

And  finally,  one  day,  the  long-expected  Russian  fleet  ar- 
rived ! 

Radiant  with  joy,  Alexis  Orloff  rushed  into  Natalie's 
apartment. 

"  We  have  now  attained  our  end,"  said  he,  dropping 
upon  one  knee  before  his  wife  ;  "  I  can  now  in  truth  greet 
you  as  my  empress  and  mistress  !  Natalie,  the  Russian  fleet 
is  here,  and  only  waits  to  convey  you  in  triumph  to  your 
empire,  to  the  throne  that  is  ready  for  you,  to  your  people 
who  are  languishing  for  your  presence  !  Ah,  you  are  now 
really  an  empress,  and  marvellous  will  you  be  when  the  im- 
perial crown  encircles  your  noble  head  !  " 

"  I  shall  be  an  empress,"  said  Natalie,  "  but  you,  Alexis, 
will  always  be  my  lord  and  emperor ! " 

"  Natalie,"  continued  the  count,  "  your  people  call  for 
you  ! — your  soldiers  languish  for  you,  the  sailors  of  all  these 
ships  direct  their  eyes  to  the  shore  where  their  empress  lin- 
gers. The  admiral's  ship  will  be  splendidly  adorned  for 
your  reception,  and  Admiral  Gluck  will  be  the  first  to  pay 
homage  to  you.  Therefore  adorn  yourself,  my  charming, 
beautiful  empress — adorn  yourself,  and  show  yourself  to 
your  faithful  subjects  in  all  the  magnificence  of  your  im- 
perial position.  Ah,  it  will  be  a  wonderful  and  intoxicating 
festival  when  you  celebrate  the  first  day  of  your  greatness ! " 

And  Count  Orloff  called  her  attendants.  Smiling,  per- 
fectly happy  at  seeing  the  pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  her 
husband,  Natalie  suffered  herself  to  be  adorned,  to  be  en- 
veloped in  that  costly  gold-embroidered  robe,  those  pearls 
and  diamonds,  that  sparkling  diadem,  those  chains  and 
bracelets. 


THE  RUSSIAN  FLEET.  445 

She  was  iliessed,  she  was  ready  !  With  a  charming 
smile  she  gave  her  hand  to  her  husband,  who  viewed  her 
with  joyous  glances,  and  loudly  praised  the  beauty  of  her 
celestial  countenance. 

"  They  will  be  enchanted  with  the  sight  of  you,"  said  he. 

Natalie  smilingly  said :  "  Let  them  be  so  !  I  am  only 
happy  when  I  please  you  !  " 

In  an  open  carriage,  attended  by  her  retinue,  she  pro- 
ceeded to  the  haven,  and  all  the  people  who  thronged  the 
streets  shouted  in  honor  of  the  beautiful  princess,  astonished 
at  the  splendor  by  which  she  was  surrounded,  and  estimat- 
ing Count  Orloff  a  very  happy  man  to  be  the  husband  of 
such  an  empress! 

And  when  she  appeared  upon  the  shore,  when  the  car- 
riages stopped  and  Princess  Natalie  rose  from  her  seat, 
there  arose  from  all  the  ships  the  thousand-voiced  cheers 
of  their  crews.  Russian  flags  waved  from  every  spar,  can- 
non thundered  and  drums  rolled,  and  all  shouted :  "  Hail 
to  the  imperial  princess !  Hail,  Natalie,  the  daughter  of 
Elizabeth ! " 

It  was  a  proud,  an  intoxicating  moment,  and  Natalie's 
eyes  were  filled  with  tears.  Trembling  with  proud  ecstasy^ 
she  was  compelled  to  lean  upon  Orloff's  arm  to  preserve 
herself  from  falling. 

"  No  weakness  now ! "  said  he,  and  for  the  first  time  his 
voice  sounded  harsh  and  rough.  Surprised,  she  glanced  at 
him — there  was  something  in  his  face  that  she  did  not  un- 
derstand ;  there  was  something  wild  and  disagreeable  in  the 
expression  of  his  features,  and  he  avoided  meeting  her 
glance. 


44G      THE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN  EMPRESS. 

He  looked. .over  to  the  ships.  "  See,"  said  he,  "  they  are 
letting  down  the  great  boat ;  Admiral  Gluck  himself  is 
coming  for  you.  And  see  that  host  of  gondolas,  that  fol- 
low the  admiral's  boat !  All  his  officers  are  coming  to  do 
homage  to  you,  and  when  you,  in  their  company,  reach  the 
admiral's  ship,  they  will  let  down  the  golden  arm-chair  to 
take  you  on  board.  That  is  an  honor  they  pay  only  to  per- 
sons of  imperial  rank  ! " 

Her  glance  passed  by  all  these  unimportant  things ;  she 
saw  only  his  face ;  she  thoughtfully  and  sadly  asked  herself 
what  change  had  come  over  Alexis,  and  what  was  the  mean- 
ing of  his  half-shy,  half-angry  appearance. 

The  boats  came  to  the  shore,  and  now  came  the  admiral 
with  his  officers;  prostrating  themselves  before  her,  they 
paid  homage  to  this  beautiful  princess,  whom  they  hailed  as 
their  mistress. 

Natalie  thanked  them  with  a  fascinating  smile;  and, 
graciously  giving  her  hand  to  the  admiral,  suffered  herself 
to  be  assisted  by  him  into  the  great  boat. 

As  soon  as  her  foot  touched  it,  the  cannon  thundered, 
flags  were  waved  on  all  the  ships,  and  their  crews  shouted, 
"  Viva  Natalie  of  Russia ! " 

Her  eyes  sought  Orloff,  who,  with  a  scowling  brow  and 
gloomy  features,  was  still  standing  on  the  shore. 

"  Count  Alexis  Orloff !  "  cried  she,  with  her  silvery  voice, 
"  we  await  you  ! " 

But  Alexis  came  not  at  her  call.  He  hastily  sprang 
into  an  officer's  boat,  without  giving  her  even  a  look. 

"  Alexis  !  "  she  anxiously  cried. 

"  He  follows  us,  your  highness,"  whispered  the  wife  of 


THE  RUSSIAN   FLEET.  447 

Consul  Dyke,  while  taking  her  place  near  the  princess. 
"  It  would  be  contrary  to  etiquette  for  him  to  appear  at  the 
side  of  the  empress  at  this  moment.  See,  he  is  close  behind 
us,  in  the  second  gondola !  " 

*'  Shove  off ! "  cried  Admiral  Gluck,  he  himself  taking 
the  rudder  in  honor  of  the  empress. 

The  boats  moved  from  the  land.  First,  the  admiral's 
boat,  with  the  princess,  the  admiral,  and  the  English- 
woman ;  and  then,  in  brilliant  array,  the  innumerable 
crowd  of  adorned  gondolas  containing  the  officers  of  the 
fleet. 

It  was  a  magnificent  sight.  The  people  who  crowded 
the  shore  could  not  sufficiently  admire  the  splendid  spec- 
tacle. 

When  they  reached  the  admiral's  ship  the  richly-gilded 
arm-chair  was  let  down  for  Natalie's  reception.  She 
tremblingly  rose  from  her  seat — a  strange,  inexplicable  fear 
came  over  her,  and  she  anxiously  glanced  around  for  Orloff. 
He  sat  in  the  second  boat,  not  far  from  her,  but  he  looked 
not  toward  her,  not  even  for  a  moment,  and  upon  his  lips 
there  was  a  wild,  triumphant  smile. 

"  Princess,  they  wait  for  you ;  seat  yourself  in  the  arm- 
chair!" said  Madame  Dyke,  in  a  tone  which  to  Natalie 
seemed  to  have  nothing  of  the  former  humility  and  devo- 
tion— all  seemed  to  her  to  be  suddenly  changed,  all !  Shud- 
deringly  she  took  her  seat  in  the  swinging  chair — but, 
nevertheless,  she  took  it. 

The  chair  was  drawn  up,  the  cannon  thundered  anew, 
the  flags  were  waved,  and  again  shouted  the  masses  of  peo- 
ple on  the  shore. 


448  'i'liK  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

Suddenly  it  seemed  as  if,  amid  the  shouts  of  joy  and  the 
thundering  of  the  cannon,  a  shriek  of  terror  was  heard, 
loud,  penetrating,  and  heartrending.  What  was  that? 
What  means  that  tumult  upon  the  deck  of  the  admiral's 
ship  ?  Seems  it  not  as  if  they  had  roughly  seized  this 
princess  whose  feet  had  just  now  touched  the  ship?  as  if 
they  had  grasped  her,  as  if  she  resisted,  stretching  her 
arms  toward  heaven  ?  and  hark,  now  this  frightful  cry,  this 
heart-rending  scream ! 

Shuddering  and  silent  stand  the  people  upon  the  shore, 
staring  at  the  ships.  And  the  cannon  are  silenced,  the 
flags  are  no  longer  waved,  all  is  suddenly  still. 

Once  more  it  seems  as  if  that  voice  was  heard,  loudly 
shrieking  the  one  name — "  Alexis ! " 

Trembling  and  quivering,  Alexis  OrloflE  orders  his  boat 
to  return  to  the  shore ! 

In  the  admiral's  ship  all  is  now  still.  The  princess  is  no 
longer  on  the  deck.  She  has  disappeared  !  The  people  on 
shore  maintained  that  they  had  seen  her  loaded  with  chains 
and  then  taken  away !     Where? 

All  was  still.  The  boats  returned  to  the  shore.  Count 
Orloff  gave  his  hand  to  the  handsome  Madame  Dyke,  to  as- 
sist her  in  landing. 

"  To-morrow,  madame,"  he  whispered,  "  I  will  wait 
upon  you  with  the  thanks  of  my  empress.  You  have  ren- 
dered us  an  essential  service." 

The  people  at  the  landing  received  them  with  howls, 
hisses,  and  curses! — but  Count  Orloff,  with  a  contemptu- 
ous smile,  strewed  gold  among  them,  and  their  clamors 
ceased. 


CONCLUSION.  449 

Tranquil  and  still  lay  the  Russian  fleet  in  the  haven. 
But  the  ports  of  the  admiral's  ship  were  opened,  and  the 
yawning  cannon  peeped  threateningly  forth.  No  boats 
were  allowed  to  approach  the  ship ;  but  some,  impelled  by 
curiosity,  nevertheless  ventured  it,  and  at  the  cabin  window 
they  thought  they  saw  the  pale  princess  wringing  her 
hands,  her  arms  loaded  with  chains.  Others  also  asserted 
that  in  the  stillness  of  the  night  they  had  heard  loud  lam- 
entations coming  from  the  admiral's  ship. 

On  the  next  day  the  Russian  fleet  weighed  anchor  for 
St.  Petersburg !  Proudly  sailed  the  admiral's  ship  in  ad- 
vance of  the  others,  and  soon  became  invisible  in  the 
horizon. 

On  the  shore  stood  Count  Alexis  OrloflE,  and,  as  he  saw 
the  ships  sailing  past,  with  a  savage  smile  he  muttered  : 
"  It  is  accomplished  !  my  beautiful  empress  will  be  satisfied 
with  me ! " 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

CONCLUSION. 

She  was  satisfied,  the  great,  the  sublime  empress — satis- 
fied with  the  work  Alexis  Orloff  had  accomplished,  and 
with  the  manner  in  which  it  was  done. 

In  the  presence  of  her  confi  iential  friends  she  permitted 
Orloff's  messenger,  Joseph  Ribas,  to  relate  to  her  all  the 
particulars  of  the  affair  from  the  commencement  to  the 
end,  and  to  the  narrator  she  nodded  her  approval  with  a 
fell  smile. 


450      THE  DAUGHTER  OF  AN  EMPRESS. 

"  Yes,"  said  she  to  Gregory  Orloff,  "  we  understand 
women's  hearts,  and  therefore  sent  Alexis  to  entrap  her. 
A  handsome  man  is  the  best  jailer  for  a  woman,  from 
whom  she  never  runs  away."  And,  bending  nearer  to 
Gregory's  ear,  she  whispered  :  "  I,  myself,  your  empress,  am 
almost  your  prisoner,  you  wicked,  handsome  man !  " 

And  ravished  by  the  beauty  of  Gregory  Orloff,  the  third 
in  the  ranks  of  her  recognized  favorites,  the  empress  leaned 
upon  his  arm,  whispering  words  of  tenderness  in  his  ear. 

"  And  what  does  your  sublime  majesty  decide  upon  re- 
specting your  prisoner  ?  "  humbly  asked  Joseph  Eibas. 

"  Oh,  I  had  almost  forgotten  her,"  said  the  empress, 
with  indifference.  "  She  is,  then,  yet  living,  this  so-called 
daughter  of  Elizabeth  ?  " 

"  She  is  yet  alive." 

The  empress  for  some  time  thoughtfully  walked  back 
and  forth,  occasionally  turning  her  bold  eagle  eye  upon  her 
two  favorite  pictures,  hanging  upon  the  wall.  They  were 
battle-pieces  from  Casanova's  master-hand  —  battle-pieces 
full  of  terrible  truth;  they  displayed  the  running  blood, 
the  trembling  flesh,  the  rage  of  the  opponents,  and  the 
death-groans  of  the  defeated.  Such  were  the  pictures  loved 
by  Catharine,  and  the  sight  of  which  always  inspired  her 
with  bold  thoughts. 

As  she  now  glanced  at  these  sanguinary  pictures,  a 
pleasant  smile  drew  over  the  face  of  this  Northern  Semir- 
amis.  She  had  just  come  to  a  decision,  and,  being  content 
with  it,  expressed  her  satisfaction  by  a  smile. 

"  That  bleeding  feminine  torso,"  said  she,  pointing  to 
one  of  the  pictures,  "  look  at  it,  Gregory,  that  wonderful 


CONCLUSION.  45  X 

feminine  back  reminds  me  of  the  vengeance  Elizabeth  took 
for  the  beauty  of  Eleonore  Lapuschkin.  Well,  Elizabeth's 
pretended  daughter  shall  find  me  teachable ;  I  will  learn 
from  her  mother  how  to  punish.  Let  this  criminal  be  con- 
ducted to  the  same  place  where  the  fair  Lapuschkin  suf- 
fered, and  as  she  was  served  so  serve  Elizabeth's  daughter ! 
Only  the  knout  may  be  swung  a  little  more  powerfully. 
We  have  no  desire  to  tear  out  the  tongue  of  this  child. 
Whip  her,  that  is  all,  but  whip  her  well  and  effectually. 
You  understand  me  ?  " 

And  while  she  said  this,  that  animated  smile  deserted 
not  Catharine's  lips  for  a  moment,  and  her  features  con- 
stantly displayed  the  utmost  cheerfulness. 

"  I  think,"  said  she,  turning  to  Gregory,  "  that  is  bring- 
ing an  expiatory  offering  to  the  fair  Eleonore  Lapuschkin, 
and  we  here  exercise  justice  in  the  name  of  God! — As  to 
you,"  she  then  said  to  Joseph  Ribas,  "  we  have  reason  to  be 
satisfied  with  you,  and  you  shall  not  go  without  your  re- 
ward. Moreover,  our  beloved  Alexis  Orloff  has  especially 
recommended  you  to  us,  and  spoken  veiy  highly  of  your 
information  and  talents.     You  shall  be  satisfied."  * 

It  was  a  dark  and  dreadfully  cold  night.  St.  Petersburg 
slept;   the  streets  were  deserted   and  silent.      But  there, 

*  Joseph  Ribas  was  rewarded  by  the  empress  with  the  place  of  an 
officer  and  teacher  in  the  corps  of  cadets.  Afterward,  upon  the  recom- 
mendation of  Betzkoi,  he  was  made  the  tutor  of  Bobrinsky.  one  of  the 
sons  of  the  empress  by  Gregory  Orloflf.  "  He  accompanied  Bobrinsky 
in  all  his  travels,"  says  Massen,  "and  inoculated  the  prince  with  all  the 
terrible  vices  he  himself  possessed."  At  a  later  period,  as  we  have 
already  said,  he  became  an  admiral  and  a  favorite  of  Potemkin,  the 
fourth  of  Catharine's  lovers. 


452  '^'HE  DAUGHTER  OP  AN   EMPRESS. 

upon  the  place  where  Elizabeth  once  caused  the  beautiful 
Lapuschkin  to  be  tortured,  there  torches  glanced,  there 
dark  forms  were  moving  to  and  fro,  there  a  mysterious  life 
was  stirring.     What  was  being  done  there  ? 

No  spectators  are  to-night  assembled  around  these  bar- 
riers. Catharine  has  commanded  all  St.  Petersburg  to 
sleep  at  this  hour,  and  accordingly  it  slept.  Nobody  is 
upon  the  place — nobody  but  the  cold,  unfeeling  execution- 
ers and  their  assistants — nobody  but  that  pale,  feeble,  and 
shrunken  woman,  who,  in  her  slight  white  dress,  kneels  at 
the  feet  of  her  executioners.  She  yet  lives,  it  is  true,  but 
her  soul  has  long  since  fled,  her  heart  has  long  been  broken. 
The  chains  and  tortures  of  her  imprisonment  have  done 
that  for  her.  It  was  Alexis  Orloff  who  murdered  Natalie's 
heart  and  soul.  For  him  had  she  wept  until  her  tears  had 
been  exhausted — for  him  had  she  lamented  until  her  voice 
had  become  extinct.  She  now  no  longer  weeps,  no  longer 
complains ;  glancing  at  her  executioners,  she  smiles,  and, 
raising  her  hands  to  God,  she  thanks  him  that  at  last  she  is 
about  to  die. 

She  is  yet  praying  when  her  executioners  approach  and 
roughly  raise  her  up,  -ivhen  they  tear  off  her  light  robe,  and 
devour  with  their  brutal  eyes  her  noble  naked  .form. 
Her  soul  is  with  God,  to  whom  she  yet  prays.  But  when 
they  would  rend  from  her  bosom  the  chain  to  which 
Paulo's  papers  are  attached,  she  shudders,  her  eyes  flash, 
and  she  holds  the  papers  in  her  convulsively  clinched 
hands. 

"  I  have  sworn  to  defend  them  with  my  life  ! " .  she  ex- 
claims aloud.     "  Paulo,  Paulo,  I  will  keep  my  word ! " 


CON'CLUSION.  453 

And  with  the  boldness  of  a  lioness  she  defends  herself 
against  her  executioners. 

"  Leave  her  those  papers  ! "  commanded  Joseph  Bibas 
who  was  present  by  order  of  the  empress.  "  She  may  keep 
them  now — they  will  directly  be  ours ! " 

"  Oh,  Paulo,  1  have  kept  the  promise  I  made  thee ! " 
murmured  Natalie.  She  then  implores  to  be  allowed  to 
read  them,  and  Joseph  Ribas  grants  her  the  desired  permis- 
sion. 

With  trembling  hands  she  breaks  the  seal  and  reads  by 
the  light  of  a  torch  held  up  for  her.  A  melancholy  smile 
flits  over  her  features,  and  her  arms  fall  powerless. 

"  Ah,  they  are  the  proofs  of  my  imperial  descent,  noth- 
ing further.     How  little  is  that,  Paulo  ! " 

And  now  lifting  her  up,  they  raise  her  high  upon  the 
backs  of  the  executioners. 

The  knout  whistles  as  it  whirls  through  the  air,  the 
noble  blood  flows  in  streams.  She  makes  no  complaint, 
she  prays.  Only  once,  overcome  by  pain,  only  once  she 
loudly  screams :  "  Mercy ^  mercy  for  the  daughter  of  an  im- 
press !  " 


THE    END. 


18646    DATE  DUE 

„r-       ^^^' 

) 

13  W 

/\Y  '^     1969 

r  o  Tft 

APR 

5  9  *^» 

iiCJJ 

tECO  MAY  1 

I  1970 

m\ 

3      72 

UCI 

REC'O   APR 

r^   197? 

CAYLORO 

PRINTED  INU.S.A. 

UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  926  625     5 


